The Supreme Court (Week 3)

The United States Supreme Court is the world's most powerful judicial body. There are nine justices who serve on the Supreme Court, and in the court's history, there have been a total of over 100 justices. Serving as a Supreme Court Justice is an honor that is not bestowed upon many. As previously mentioned, only nine justices can serve at once, and the average justice serves for an average of sixteen years. With that being said, the window of opportunity for becoming a justice is very narrow. When the Supreme Court loses a justice, the President appoints the next justice who will fill the vacancy. This choice is then reviewed, and the process does not always run smoothly. We all witnessed a very recent example of this in 2016 when President Trump attempted to appoint justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and questions about the judges character and integrity were raised before he was eventually got the job. 

The Supreme Court is responsible for upholding the constitution, and is meant to be a body of unwavering fairness and impartiality. For many reasons, it is highly important that the court continues to represent and uphold these values. Perhaps the greatest reason of all is because the Supreme Court shares a symbiotic relationship with the American people. In order for the Judicial system to work, people must accept and obey the court’s rulings. In order for people to accept and obey those rulings, the Supreme Court must maintain a high level of credibility and trust amongst the vast majority of Americans.  

There have been instances in the Supreme Court’s past when it made decisions that damaged its credibility. The Dred Scott case, along with others, are unfortunate examples. These instances are few and far between, but they do happen, and it is important for us all of us to remember that the justices are still humans who are bound to make mistakes sometimes. Although the Supreme Court has made some mistakes, it still has the trust of the American public, and that is a very good thing. During these times of political divisiveness and partisan agendas, it is important that the Supreme Court has a high level of credibility amongst the American people.