The United States Supreme Court

I have watched a video on the US Supreme Court, as well as read an article, and now have some questions that I want to go over regarding them. They go as follows:

• What did you learn about the Supreme Court that you didn't already know?
• What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court
• What was the most surprising thing you learned?
• How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court?

So, lets go over this information, and talk about what I have learned. But first,

The Supreme Court of the United States (or SCOTUS) is the highest federal court in the country and the head of the judicial branch of government. Established by the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Court has the ultimate jurisdiction over all laws within the United States and is responsible for evaluating the constitutionality of those laws. If necessary, the court, which is currently made up of nine justices, has the power to check the actions of the other two branches of government—the executive branch of the president and the legislative branch of Congress. (Supreme Court, History.com)

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

    So I read the History.com article, and watched some videos on the Supreme Court. A fact I did not know, is that "For more than 100 years after the foundation of the Supreme Court, the justices were required to hold circuit court twice a year in each judicial circuit—a grueling duty (given the primitive travel methods at the time) that Congress formally abolished in 1891." (Supreme Court, History.com).

I did not know about this, and I completely understand why this was abolished. Having to travel the, albeit smaller, country at the time, visiting every single district twice a year, would be a very difficult task. The transportation available was not like today. These early Supreme Court justices would have to travel the country via horses and carriages, or if it was available, steamboats. I cannot imagine how long it would take to travel, and to be constantly traveling to other districts would make it very difficult for the justices to focus on the larger, more important cases that could arise. Luckily, we now have 12 Circuit Courts of Appeals, that can do this job. 

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

    The US Supreme Court is one of the most important pieces of the United States Government. They provide justice, and promise the citizens of the United States equal justice under the law. The most important thing the Supreme Court can do is establish the true meaning of a law, deciding if how it should actually be applied. Just recently, they unanimously ruled in Trump v. Anderson, that Donald Trump could not be excluded from presidential ballots, due to the events of January 6th, 2022. The Supreme Court is essential to the United States, as it defines laws as we know it. 

What was the most surprising thing you learned? 

    A fact I learned from one of the videos, is that Opinion Writing is the most time consuming part of a Supreme Court Justices' job. This is because the reasoning for the court's ruling, that is stated in the opinion, must be enforced in all other courts and in future cases. I did not actually believe this would take the most time, but I also am not surprised at this fact. I would have figured that the actual discussions and arguments the Justices have about a case, and the facts that go along with it, would be the most time consuming. I would think it could even get ugly. But I do understand that their ruling must be clear and concise; easy for other courts to follow. Therefore, creating their ruling and reasoning would take a large amount of time. 

How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court? 

I have always thought highly of the United States Supreme Court, and its justices. After all, they are the most powerful judicial body on the planet. The amount of power that they could theoretically hold is immense. They interpret the very words of the US Constitution, and uphold law. But they are merely people. People who deal with issues about human rights. The amount of pressure that is on the justices is immense, as they tell the states, congress, and the president himself what they can or cannot do. As they are people, they will be stressed, and worry about causing controversy, even though it is unavoidable. The Supreme Court looks after the good of the nation itself, and for this, I have an immense respect for them, and wish them the best judgement in their rulings.