The Founding Era

March 20, 2023

 The Founding Era and the Idea of America

It is often the organizations that keep everything in order have the least amount of publicity when it comes to modern news. The Supreme Court is not mentioned nearly as often as congress or the President, yet it ties the documents that our founding fathers created at the seams.

What I learned

What I learned about the Supreme Court was how involved they are in the checks and balances of the government’s system. That they must adhere to a specific process and try to put everything regarding bias to the side. This ensures that the constitution is not violated in cases or laws that are passed. In addition, I learned that they handle 7,000 cases which only amounts to about 100 being reviewed/considered to be brought to trial at the court. 

Takeaway

Reviewing all of the sources lead me to believe that the most important takeaway of the Supreme Court is that they constantly have to keep powers in check, as well as keep the repercussions of certain rulings in mind. The first hearing regarding the subject matter of slavery caused the civil war, or was at least a big factor in the start of it. A lot of students or young adults do not realize the gravity of the decisions being made even now, and the effects that it might have down the line. No one talks about same-sex marriage anymore but back then people had strong opinions on the outcome of the case. For example, the recent overturn of Roe V Wade. These are very important cases that affect the lives of many.

Surprises

The most surprising thing I learned was that the members of the Supreme Court meet after coming to a written conclusion, then they each write arguments trying to sway the others. It makes sense of why it is a part of their process but it is something that is not usually brought up or heard of. Usually it would be the final ruling but the longest part of the system is trying to persuade each other, or writing the majority's reasoning for the outcome of the trial.

The video’s made me appreciate the Supreme Court's involvement in the government a lot more. I only hear about the serious cases every once in a while but it is a full time job that people do for life and they are constantly working in the background. Whether it's sifting through the cases that have been sent in, reviewing old cases, or having to make their argument and persuade others it is a rigorous job. It is also very hard to imagine taking your bias completely away from something that you might feel passionate about for the sake of other members or the people. Trying to remain completely unbiased while sticking to the foundation of a document of such age is a daunting task. Sources like these do a great job of what it is really like to be in their shoes day in and day out.