Supreme Court Reflection

The United States Supreme Court

 

After watching this documentary, I came away with a deeper appreciation for how much the Supreme Court depends on public trust rather than force.

I had always thought of the Court as powerful because of its legal authority. What surprised me was learning that its power ultimately rests on the faith that Americans place in its decisions.

The Court interprets a Constitution that is more than 200 years old. That responsibility has been carried by more than 100 justices throughout the nation's history.

One quote from the documentary stood out to me: being appointed to the Supreme Court is "akin to being struck by lightning." It also takes three to five years before the job begins to feel normal.

I was surprised to learn that Americans did not always accept the Court's authority. The acceptance the Court enjoys today had to develop over time.

The documentary also highlighted Chief Justice John Marshall's statement that "we must never forget it is a Constitution we are expounding." That idea helped me understand how the Court approaches its role.

Another important lesson involved the Dred Scott case and how the issue of slavery was ultimately resolved through the Civil War and constitutional amendments.

What changed my view the most was learning how the justices interact with one another.

Before watching the video, I viewed Supreme Court justices as people who existed on a different level from everyone else because of the importance of their positions. The documentary made them seem much more like ordinary people.

The justices shake hands before every meeting and before taking the bench. One of the justices explained the tradition by saying, "It's harder to hold a grudge after shaking someone's hand."

That simple practice surprised me because it showed the human side of the Court. Despite their disagreements, the justices still make an effort to treat one another with respect.

I also learned that the Court cannot simply choose problems to solve. It must wait for real cases to be brought before it.

The Court receives more than 7,000 cases every year, yet only a small number become major decisions. Once the justices vote, a member of the majority writes the Court's reasoning, and the drafting process can continue for months.

My biggest takeaway is that the Supreme Court depends on an unspoken agreement between the people and the justices. Without that trust, the authority of the Court and the freedoms it helps protect would be much harder to sustain.