Blog Post 2; Order, Order! The Supreme Court of the United States

 Order, Order! The Supreme Court of the United States

    The Supreme Court of the United States is the ultimate jurisdiction and the most powerful court in the world. The job of the Supreme Court is to uphold the values of the Constitution. Their power comes from the faith and trust that the American people put into the 9 Justices that serve on the court. According to HISTORY.com, as of January 2021, 115 Justices have served on the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was established in 1789 and has been America's most powerful form of jurisdiction since. Article 2 of the Constitution establishes that the power of the Supreme is given to them by Congress. This gives the government a checks and balances system to ensure that each branch of government is working properly with the other. 

      The video we watched from York Associates Television observed the history and workings of the Supreme Court. They stated that the Supreme Court receives roughly 7,000 cases a year, but only takes 80-100 of them. The Supreme Court uses certiorari to help decide what cases they will choose to take. These cases usually receive a great deal of attention prior to the Supreme Court taking them and have great controversy in Trial and Appeal Courts. The issue(s) in these cases have also been brought to the attention of the Supreme Court continuously. Due process and substantive due process play a large part as well in the Supreme Courts' decision to take a case. Due process is when the Appeals Court looks at the Trial Court to ensure the citizen was given a fair trial. If not, the Appeals Court takes the case to the Supreme Court where they use substantive due process to ensure that there was proper protection in legal procedures and other unrelated aspects. The Supreme Court also uses Judicial Review to discern if the actions made by the courts were Constitutional.  

    One new thing I learned about the U.S. Supreme Court was judicial restraint, activism, and review. I had some prior knowledge on these things but now I know a few more specifics and how these actions work in the Supreme Court. 
    Judicial restraint refers to the refusal of action from the Supreme Court. When judicial restraint happens, this means that the court did not change the decision and used stare decisis, which means standing by the decision. This is the most common decision seen by the court. Judicial activism is when the court decides to overturn the precedent of the case. This action usually happens very swiftly and quickly. 

    Judicial review is the power of the court to review all actions by all forms of government and deem them constitutional or not. This action is especially important when the Supreme Court has to make decisions involving elected officials and situations involving government action. 

    The most important takeaway from each source about the Supreme Court would be that the power of the court is the power of trust earned. I think that it is very important that as American citizens we understand that the power of the Supreme Court comes from Congress, and Congress is a representative of the American people. Therefore, the amount of trust and effort we put into our government directly relates to the action we see. 
    I find that this is the most important takeaway because it reminds us of our privilege and rights as American citizens. It also encourages us to continue to be active advocates for what we want to see in our government. 
    

    One surprising thing that I learned about the Supreme Court that I mentioned briefly previously, is the Supreme Courts' ability to pick and choose what cases they take. This is called certiorari. The 9 Justices' that serve on the Supreme Court have the authority to choose what cases they will take. This is mainly because the Supreme Court receives about 7,000 cases a year but can only take about 80 to 100. The certiorari helps the Justices decide what court cases to take. This is mainly decided by the relevance of the issue presented in the case and the results of substantive due process. 
   

    After watching the video, my thoughts on the Supreme Court did not really change. I felt that prior to the video I had a solid understanding of what the Supreme Court does and how it operates. However, one thing that did change after watching the video was my perception of the Justices. I felt much more connected and saw a more personal side to them. It was nice to be reminded that they are people too and that we all just want what is best for our country. Seeing the more personal aspect also gave me more confidence as a young American citizen, because I saw how the Justices interact with each other and reach decisions. 

    All in all, I feel much more educated and informed on the Supreme Court and how it works. It is extremely important as young American citizens and college students that we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of our democracy.