Something that I didn’t know about the Supreme Court that I do now is that only 115 Justices have served on the Supreme Court as of 2022. For some reason, I expected there to be a lot more than that. People who are appointed as a members of the Supreme Court remain until they either die or retire. Although this has been a standard set since the very early years, I would think that it would have changed as time went on. People are essentially locked into the job. While this has benefits, it can also have costs. Presidents elect the justices and then they are approved by the court. These members are required to make decisions based on the rules of the law. If people lose interest in their job, the quality of decision-making may decrease. Another thing that I wasn’t aware of was that the number of Justices has fluctuated over the years from as little as 5, to as many as 10. Having an even number of justices shocks me as decisions could commonly be split down the middle. Overall, I thought that the Supreme Court had a higher turnover rate than 115 total Justices. (History.com)
What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?
The most important take away point that I learned about the Supreme Court was that they have the ability to overrule or check the actions of the other two branches of government (executive branch and legislative branch). The Supreme Court is of the most power in law. Following the Constitution, decisions are made above all other branches of government.
What was the most surprising thing you learned?
The most surprising thing I learned was that of the Dred Scott decision. That was the first time I have heard of this ruling, and I was surprised of the lasting effect one case can have on our government. Looking back on the time period, it doesn’t seem out of the norm but, looking at it now, I cannot fathom how this was even decided on. The Court stated that enslaved people were not citizens of the United States and weren’t protected by the government. Seeing how much our government and country has changed over the years is surprising on its own.
How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court?
The video gave me a lot of insight on the behind-the-scenes of the Supreme Court and made me understand the immense amount of pressure the Justices face. I had very little knowledge surrounding this branch of government. Getting information from visuals, interviews, and historic events changed the way I thought the Supreme Court worked. Having the responsibility of making the court’s decision justice by justice was eye opening to me. Seeing the amount of cases, they are presented was astonishing. Seeing how many that are presented vs the amount decided can be seen in the graph. It is shocking to see.
9 the judiciary the final word on interpretation of the constitution is up to the nine members of the Supreme Court. how the Constitution is interpreted. - ppt download. SlidePlayer. (n.d.). https://slideplayer.com/slide/17358575
A&E Television Networks. (n.d.). Supreme Court. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/us-government-and-politics/supreme-court-facts
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