Blog Post 2: US Supreme Court

 Supreme Court

    In the early days of our nation, the founding fathers established three branches of government to ensure a balance of power and maintain peace among the populace. These branches are the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Among them, the Supreme Court stands out as a crucial part of our democracy, arguably the glue that holds it all together. Its primary role is not only to uphold the law but also to interpret laws.  The most important takeaway is the intense amount of responsibility and trust this one group of people hold.

    From reading the article at History.com, I learned that the Supreme Court originally had just six justices, a number that Congress adjusted several times before settling on nine in 1869.  This figure remains unchanged today. Over the years, there have been more than a hundred justices, but only one, Samuel Chase, has been impeached and removed.

 

 One concept I find fascinating is judicial review. This term refers to the Court's ability to "...declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution".  This action was solidified in 1803 by the landmark case Marbury v. Madison, where Justice John Marshall asserted the Court's authority to rule on the constitutionality of federal laws. This decision empowered the Supreme Court to check the actions of the executive and legislative branches.

    Another surprising aspect I discovered from watching videos of the Supreme Court justices is how human they appear. I had always imagined the Supreme Court as a very serious and rigid institution. However, seeing the justices exhibit humor and emotion made me realize they are human too, capable of making mistakes like anyone else. We often hold the courts to a standard of perfection and criticize them for corruption, but it’s important to remember that justices are fallible humans. As a democratic society, we should scrutinize their actions carefully but also approach them with grace, acknowledging their capacity for error.