Supreme Court Reflection

The U.S Supreme Court is the ultimate decider of constitutionality.

Before watching the video linked at the bottom of this post, I knew that the Supreme Court was the highest court in the United States, but I learned many details that I had never heard before. One fact that surprised me was that the Court receives thousands of petitions for relief every year, yet it only agrees to hear about 100 cases annually. That showed me how selective the Court is and how important the cases it reviews must be.

Inside of The Suprene Court

The biggest lesson I took away from the video was the Supreme Court's mission: safeguarding liberty, preserving the Union, and upholding the rule of law. That statement helped me understand the Court's purpose in a broader way. Rather than simply deciding legal disputes, the Court plays a key role in protecting the principles on which the nation is built.

I also learned several interesting facts about the justices themselves. The Court takes a new official photograph whenever a new member joins. Justices have no term limits, although they serve an average of about 16 years. I was also surprised to learn that there have been only a little more than 100 justices in the entire history of the Supreme Court. Each justice is nominated by the President and appointed by the Senate.

Portrait of Dred Scott

The video highlighted some important moments in Supreme Court history. In 1801, John Marshall became Chief Justice. During his time on the Court, the case Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review, which allows the Court to determine whether laws are constitutional.

Another major topic was the Dred Scott case. The Court ruled that Congress had no power to resolve
the issue of slavery, and the video described this decision as the Court's greatest self-inflicted wound. Learning about this case showed me that even the Supreme Court can make decisions that are later viewed as serious mistakes.

Overall, the video changed the way I think about the Supreme Court. I now see it as more than a group of judges deciding cases. The Court reviews whether lower courts applied the law correctly and whether laws are constitutional, making it one of the most important institutions in the United States government.

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AI DISCLOSURE: This post was generated by Microsoft Copilot. I took detailed notes while watching the video below about the history of the U.S Supreme Court. In addition to facts that I learned, I emphasized my own reactions and opinions while watching. I then asked Copilot to help me improve the text by correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I then asked Copilot to help me shape the text into a blog post format. After reviewing the text, I added links to related resources as well as appropriate images and captions. 

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My trusted media sources.

 1. AP News 

In my experience, AP News is one of the most reliable organizations for staying up to date on current events. AP News has reporters on the ground across the globe, making it the best way to get on-the-ground news reports during times of disaster, war, or political upheaval. When major events happen here on US soil, like elections or US Supreme Court decisions, the Associated Press is usually considered the gold standard in getting real-time, up-to-date information. Most importantly of all, AP keeps its news articles publicly available and free to read online.

2. Wall Street Journal 

The Wall Street Journal is a very reliable and fairly impartial news source. Though they are considered somewhat right-leaning overall, the Wall Street Journal is an incredibly well-respected and trusted publication. From my own personal observations, I would say they are generally unafraid to criticize any political party in both their official publications and their opinion columns.

3. Rocky Mount Telegram

This paper is far from the wealthiest or most prestigious publication, but it is by far the best source of news on my hometown. Not every news story has to be about the catastrophes overseas or the scandals of our big government. Sometimes the news can be as simple as my old high school football team winning big or the farmers market having a new vendor set up shop. 

4.Fox News

Though they are not really one of the most unbiased news sources, Fox News has become the largest, most-watched news organisation in modern America. Fox News has faced its share of defamation lawsuits, and I certainly don't agree with much of what they air, but that doesn't mean there is no reason to tune in. Despite Fox News can still be a useful organisation to keep track of, especially given the closeness of their relationship with the current administration, which has allowed them access to exclusive interviews and unique stories. Most people in my extended family watch this news organization, and I would frankly have no idea what they were talking about if I didn't keep a close eye on the reports of Fox News. 

5.CNN 

CNN may be number five on my list, but I personally consider it to be tied with Fox News. CNN suffers many of the same pitfalls, from infamous defamation cases to accusations of left-leaning bias. Despite this, I still find value in their organization. CNN is a massive news outlet that, like Fox News, can leverage their percived bias to get unique access to individuals who would otherwise avoid networks they view as more hostile.