The Supreme Court

https://hls.harvard.edu/the-supreme-court-in-a-constitutional-democracy/

This week, I chose to read the overview of Supreme Court history by the History Channel. In reading this article, I learned a few facts about the Supreme Court that I was previously unaware of. For example, I did not know that the Chief Justice is required to serve on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, or that the number of justices on the court has ranged from five to ten members over the years. Additionally, I found the article’s list of notable Supreme Court cases to be very interesting.

 

I believe the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court is a simple recognition of the Court’s power and historical influence throughout history. So many of the legal principles we ‘take for granted’ today were established in landmark Supreme Court cases, such as Mapp v. Ohio, U.S. v Nixon, and Texas v. Johnson.

 

While studying the history and practices of the Supreme Court, I have been intrigued by the seemingly mysterious nature of the Court’s decision process. Since the notable Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, I have paid much more attention to the Court’s ‘decision days’ at the end of Court terms. I was surprised to learn that the Court does not explicitly announce when opinions will be handed down, rather it is a ‘guessing game’ for the press as to when decisions may be published.

 

I feel that the American public today oftentimes fails to recognize how important the Supreme Court is in our current political system. Most are quite familiar with the executive and legislative branches, but the judicial branch can sometimes fade into the background. In reality, the work of the Supreme Court heavily influences our daily lives, and should be followed just as closely as the work of the other branches of the federal government.

https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/supreme-court-facts