Supreme Court

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Overall, I think the history and purpose of the Supreme Court is one that is very complex. At it's core, it's an entity that serves to provide real-time interpretations of the constitution that founded our country. However, the elements of choice regarding which cases are taken as well as which judges are appointed in the first place naturally causes a lot of room for differences throughout it's many duties.

The idea that the Supreme Court gets its power from the people's trust is fundamental to it's proceedings and the nature of their judgements. I think that from this perspective, there are elements that both uphold and challenge that idea. The Supreme Court does act as one of the largest government entities that average citizens can contact and expect to be heard, in at least some regard. This is powerful piece of our democracy that should not be taken for granted, and should probably be utilized even more than it already is. It's incredibly empowering for the people in America as a whole to know that them and their ancestors have always been able to address grievances and make sure that smaller judgements align with the principles we founded our nation on.

However, I hear rhetoric especially during voting seasons about how influential and crucial nominations to the Supreme Court can be for a President. There seems to be an incredible amount of influence that is involved in these decisions and for me, and I imagine others, calls into question the underlying reasons for certain appointments and choices. Not to imply that any one particular judge or decision has been more biased than others, but the power that is given to the Executive Branch in this regard cannot be overlooked. It has been said that certain appointments can "make or break" a President's legacy, and I don't think this aspect should be overlooked when examining the Supreme Court as a whole. In watching the videos, you can see that the Judges do an incredible job at remaining collected and focused in terms of working towards their common goal, but there was also an incredible difference in the way that certain Judges (such as Bryer) referred to the process as opposed to the comments about inclusion made by Justice Ginsburg. This same hinting at difference can be seen throughout the majority of cases they release judgements on today, even on cases that appear to be straightforward.

I think that as we continue to receive Judgements year after year, that the American people should continue to examine the Supreme Court both for the ways they uphold our democracy, and also for ways through which they can improve their own process.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/opinion/supreme-court-precedent.html



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