The Importance of the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court, for many, is an object of discrepancy in our modern political world. Quite a few landmark cases have happened just in my lifetime that have sent shock waves across America with their results. However, behind all the sensationalism it generates, there's a surprisingly interesting and important history to be found that highlights just how important the judicial branch of our government is in properly upholding the rights of its citizens. 

Established in 1789, the Supreme Court has been there since the beginning along with the rest of our constitutional government. Its main purpose in those times was to act as an object of judicial authority, an establishment that could resolve conflicts between state and federal law. For a short while in its infancy, it did just that, but it wasn’t until chief justice John Marshal came into his position that everything began to alter. The most famous case in the Supreme Court’s history was Marbury vs. Madison in 1803, no one will argue that. The key reason for this is because of what John Marshal declared in his case brief: The Supreme Court has the ability to determine whether the actions of either Congress or the president are constitutional or not. This new power called judicial review is what transformed the judicial branch from an afterthought to the great equalizer in our government's system of checks and balances.

The most interesting thing I found in my research regarding the Supreme Court relates to this. As it turns out, the chief justice is the one who presides over trials involving the impeachment of the President, which is something I wasn’t aware of as it was occurring with President Trump. I never knew that members appointed to the Court were given responsibilities outside of reviewing cases and their analysis of the constitution. It’s thanks to the article from History.com that I chose to dig deeper regarding this, so I’m glad to have had it shared with me to give me that extra little initiative.

I feel that the most important thing to take away here, a surprise to no one, is the essential property of judicial review the Court has. It’s something I’ve covered extensively in multiple classes, all the way back to high school and even middle school in my case, but it really is for good reason. The ability to challenge laws and, by extension, the constitution itself is impressive in its own right, but I feel what makes it so impactful is because of how it relates to citizens through how the court works. Without these cases to review, sometimes involving ordinary people, the Court’s impact wouldn’t nearly feel as significant. I feel that the connection they have to the people is what makes these cases resonate so strongly with the general public. West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, Obergefell v. Hodges, and even the recent uproar surrounding Roe v. Wade are all proof of that. In finality, though, I think that it’s because of this massively influential part of our government that there still is, to an extent, that sense of checks and balances which were the intention of our founding fathers.

References:

https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/supreme-court-facts

Ginsberg, Benjamin, et al. We the People (Essentials Edition). Available from: Yuzu, (13th Edition). W. W. Norton, 2021.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/28/23186627/supreme-court-climate-court-case-west-virginia-epa-power-plant-emissions