Blog #2

In the modern age, the supreme court is very powerful as it is responsible for judicial review and interpreting the constitution. Watching  professor Smith's videos on this subject showed me that his wasn't always the case though. I learned that In the early days of our nation, the supreme court had little to no power if any at all. This wouldn't last very long however. In the year 1801, John Marshall was appointed Chief Justice. It was through Marshall that the court's prestige was created and the supreme court we know today was born. Furthermore, the videos about the supreme court discussed the process of new justices joining the court. It was a bit shocking to learn that the American people basically have no say in this decision. The justices are nominated by presidents and in many cases, serve much longer than that president is in office. 

So how did he do that? Marshall set the precedent that is known today as Judicial review. This was done in the 1803 case Marbury v. Madison. Judicial review is the most important function of the supreme court in modern America. It's defined as the power of the court to review all actions of all branches of government and deem them constitutional or not. Another key takeaway for the supreme court is that they are the highest court in the land. This means that this is the final destination for cases that get appealed to higher courts. 

This video completely changed my perspective on the supreme court. Firstly, it humanized those who served in the supreme court. These people are individuals and citizens just like everyone else. That adds a level of difficulty to what they do and brings me a newfound sense of respect for them. Additionally, the videos talked about the complexity of decision making. These aren't easy or simple decisions that can be made on a whim. They require critical thinking, knowledge, and a strong moral compass. Ultimately, the supreme court's massive impact on our society (which has been made much more apparent to me now) has shaped the nation we live in. This court is extremely influential and the decisions that it makes can have massive ramifications for our personal lives.