Post #2: Navigating the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is one of the most powerful and influential jurisdictions in the world. Established in 1789, this article was added to the U.S. Constitution and endorsed by President George Washington to create a system of checks and balances. Upon reading an article about the history of the Supreme Court, I learned more about its function and the important role it plays in our country.

Both the video and the article read provided a better scope of the Supreme Court and the responsibilities that accompany being a justice. I never knew that the number of Supreme Court Justices changed over the course of several years. I always believed there were nine; however, it actually began with six. I am still curious as to why the number of justices changed so frequently and why nine was the agreed-upon number. Additionally, I had never heard of some of the cases that were discussed in the article such as Lawrence v. Texas (2003), which struck down state anti-sodomy laws. It’s interesting how the Supreme Court only chooses to review 100 cases per year out of the thousands they receive. 

The most important key takeaway of these materials is knowing that the ultimate goal of the Supreme Court is to uphold the value of equal justice under law, as it is outlined in the Constitution. As stated by Chief John Marshall in the case of Marbury vs. Madison, the Supreme Court is in charge of deeming legislation that is passed by Congress to be constitutional or not. Ultimately, the Supreme Court works to support the American people and make sure our constitutional rights are not being infringed upon. 

Something I was surprised to learn is that appointed Supreme Court Justices have to be approved by the Senate in order to be accepted. It surprises me that there aren’t more disagreements within the Supreme Court due to how presidents typically nominate their own party members to fill vacancies. It was also interesting to learn that there have been 115 Supreme Court Justices in U.S. history. The whole appointing procedure is quite intriguing, so I'm glad I was exposed to the inner workings of the system.

Watching the video certainly altered my perception of the Supreme Court. I was never really particularly involved in politics, but this video gave me an in-depth summary of the case selection process, the structure of the U.S. court systems, and what the life of a Supreme Court Justice looks like. I have a newfound respect for Supreme Court Justices because many people fail to recognize how stressful and overwhelming the job can be.