Blog 2: The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court

What did I learn?

One thing that I learned was how cases are chosen for review. I learned that the Supreme Court gets thousands of petitions each year but only hears a small number. I was surprised to find out that at least four justices need to agree to hear a case, which shows how the Court works together. This makes sense to me because there needs to be multiple people hearing a case so that there are different perspectives and not just one person is the one making decisions. 

What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?

The most important takeaway about the Supreme Court is that it interprets the Constitution and shapes U.S. laws. I also found it interesting how much commitment is needed for this role. I thought it was interesting that the justices don’t push their opinions, they just ask questions to encourage a conversation. The Supreme court has so many roles and everyone in those roles plays a huge part. The video says “Marshall wrote, we must never forget it is a constitution we are expounding.” This shows that justices have a responsibility to make sure their decisions reflect the Constitution's values and protect people's rights. These are all very important and stood out to me the most.

What was the most surprising thing you learned?

The most surprising thing I learned was how politics can affect the Supreme Court's decisions. I didn't know that appointing justices could change the Court's direction and influence important rulings. The video showed how changes in the Court's members led to big changes in laws and rights. I never realized how much power they held to make these decision. This made me realize that the Court's work isn't just about the law but also about politics. There is a lot more things that they are in charge of that I didn't even know. This changes my perspective on the Supreme Court because now I view them as working through diverse conflicts instead of only law. 

How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court?

The video changed how I think about the Supreme Court by showing me its important role in shaping laws and society. I used to see it as just judges making legal decisions and this was their only purpose, but now I understand that the Court interprets the Constitution and protects people’s rights. I also learned that politics can influence its decisions, which makes its role more complex. The video showed me that the Supreme Court does a lot more than I had originally thought.