The Supreme Court: What it was then and Where it is now.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33103973



The supreme court is thought of by many as the most powerful judicial body on earth. It is a co-equal branch of government that has been put in place since the Judiciary Act of 1789. The court consists of nine justices, who work tirelessly yet collaboratively to determine whether a law violates the constitution. Since the constitution has not changed and therefore not gotten any easier to understand, the Supreme Court works to interpret the constitution and determine whether or not that particular case upholds the rule of law. While the court’s legitimacy is physically stated in the constitution, their actual power rests heavily on the public's faith in their ability, independence, and impartiality. Public confidence in their court is dependent on decisions being ruled fairly and transparently. The court receives between 7,000 and 8,000 requests to review cases each year, however only hears oral arguments for about 70-80 cases. In order for a case to be heard, it must be voted in favor of at least four justices. From the viewpoint of the public, it may seem as though a case is ruled in just a few days, however, in reality, rulings actually can take months. 




One element of the video that I found to be particularly interesting was the Dred Scott case. Dred Scott, a Missouri slave, claimed his freedom under an act of congress. However, under Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney, the court ruled that Congress was not in the position or level of power to ban slavery. In following, they ruled that blacks could never be citizens. The element to this particular ruling that I found the most interesting, however, was the impact that this had on the court’s authority for years. This goes hand-in-hand with the idea of the court’s legitimacy resting on the public's faith and confidence in their decision making.


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