The U.S. Supreme Court

     The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court which means that they have the power to make constitutional decisions and make sure that the United States citizens are guaranteed equal justices under the law. The President of the United States gets to nominate and decide who the Supreme Court's justices are and the Unites States Senate approves or rejects them. The article was interesting to explore new facts of information that I did not know prior to reading and how it changed the they way I thought about the Supreme Court.

What did I learn about the Supreme Court that I didn't already know?

I did not know that several  of the Supreme Court justices were different for several reasons. I am not a political person and do not keep up with the Supreme Court so I do not know too much about the Supreme Court and why it exists. I have heard of John Marshall and how he was chief justice but I did not know his role and influence in the Supreme Court. He was the one who explained the relationship between the judiciary and the remainder of the government. In Marbury v. Madison, he confirmed the Supreme Court's authority to examine and decide whether federal laws passed by Congress are constitutional. I never knew how long he served as chief justice before reading. He served 34 years in that position which is the longest term for anyone who has played that role in the Supreme Court.

 I knew the court has dealt with and contributed with more than just civil rights matters, but I never heard of some of the vital cases. I knew of Engel v. Vitale case but I have never learned it in depth and how the Supreme Court took action. Within this case, the First Amendment is violated by prayer that is promoted by and conducted in public schools, according to the Supreme Court. Additionally, it determined in 1963 that defendants who cannot afford legal representation must receive it for free. This was provided in the Gideon v. Wainwright case. Again, I have heard of these cases but have never really studied them or gone in depth about how the Supreme Court was involved with many issues so that everyone has equal rights and laws.

What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?

The most important take-away point I took about the Supreme Court is what they do and why it is so important. Created by the United States in accordance with the Unites States Constitution, the Supreme Court has final authority over all domestic legislation and is charged with determining whether they are constitutional. The Supreme Court, which now consists of nine justices, has the authority to check the activities of the president's executive branch and Congress' legislative branch. The Supreme Court makes the most important decisions for our country. All nine justices are the people who we have to count on and trust them to make the right decisions, especially the chief justice. The Chief Justice, who oversees the Supreme Court and sets the agenda for the justice's weekly meetings, is the nation's highest judicial official. The Chief Justice has the power to choose who will draft the court's opinion in situations when he or she is a member of the majority opinion. The Chief Justice is required to serve on the Smithsonian institution's Board of Regents. The Chief Justice is very important to the Supreme Court in making decisions that will lead the United States into the right direction. Without the Supreme Court, the United States would be chaotic and have no regulatory procedures of how to handle a situation that is controversial or a problem in our community.

What was the most surprising thing I learned?

The most surprising thing I learned is how many times the size of the Supreme Court has varied. Although the initial court has six justices, Congress changed the size of the Supreme Court six times over the years, from a minimum of five to a maximum of ten. Congress set the number of seats at nine in 1869, and that number has not changed since. I was a little surprised with that information, but more curious as to why they kept changing it. I think that the more people they have within the Supreme Court is better than a few because you have more voices and opinions in order to make decisions for the laws of the people. Why did it keep on changing? Six times is a lot and it seems like they could never make up their mind. Since 1869 the number of people have stayed the same. We have stayed pretty consistent but I am surprised that they would not want more voices within the system. I am surprised and not surprised by the gender ratio within the Court. 3 women and 6 men is not a perfect ratio. Every gender has their own opinions and views on certain subjects and I would expect them to consist of an equal amount of men and women, as well as a larger range of people that have a role in the Supreme Court. The fact that they changed the number of people involved made me curious as to why they did that and why did they settle for 9 justices.

How did the Article change the way I thought of the Supreme Court?

The article changed the way I thought about the Supreme Court in a number of ways. The Supreme Court's role is very complexed. The overload of topics and cases that they have to deal with has to be a lot of stress for them. There is a lot of pressure that they have to go through because the United States is expecting a lot from them. Americans are waiting for laws to pass and they can be very opinionated and get offended by the final decisions from the Court. The Supreme Court justices were obligated to travel at each judicial district twice a year for more than 100 years following the court's founding. Congress formally eliminated this onerous requirement in 1891. Throughout history, the Supreme Court has had big shoes to fill and roles that only a few can handle because of the commitment to making decisions that can make or break our country. I never thought about how important the Chief Justice role is and how they are vital for Supreme Court. As was the case with Presidents Andre Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, the Chief Justice preside over impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States in the U.S. Senate. The Chief Justice has an important role in the case selections and choosing's to review, as well as case discussions between the justices. I never put much thought into the Supreme Court because for the longest time I never cared about what they do and their role in society. The article helped me to think about the history and significance of how much power and control the Supreme Court has with what is happening in the world right now.