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The Supreme Court Defined

The Supreme Court Defined

The Supreme Court is one of the most essential institutions in the United States, essential for the country’s democratic functioning and responsible for deciding on some of the nation’s most important issues and cases. It is the highest court in the United States and is composed of nine members, including a chief justice and eight associate justices. The court’s decisions are seen as final and binding on all other courts in the United States. This article will delve into the history, structure, and function of the Supreme Court, as well as some of the most notable cases tried before it.

History:

The Supreme Court was established by the Constitution of the United States in 1789, following the ratification of the document. It was created as a way to provide the “judicial power of the United States” to be vested in one supreme court and to establish other lower federal courts, as deemed necessary. The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal for all legal disputes and is responsible for interpreting the Constitution and the federal laws. Throughout its history, the Supreme Court has played a critical role in the development of the United States government and society.

Structure:

The Supreme Court is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices, who are appointed by the President of the United States, with the “advice and consent” of the Senate. All members serve for life or until voluntary retirement, except in rare cases, where a justice is removed from office through impeachment or through voluntary resignation. Chief Justice John Roberts holds the current head position in the Supreme Court, after replacing retired Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

Function:

The Supreme Court has been given a significant amount of power by the Constitution of the United States. The court is authorized to interpret the meaning of the Constitution and to decide whether the actions of the other two branches of government (the executive and legislative) are constitutional or not. The court can also determine whether state or federal laws are valid and can overturn those laws if they are deemed unconstitutional. These actions are the cornerstone of what makes the Supreme Court such a vital institution within the system of the United States government.

Notable Cases:

Over the years, the Supreme Court has tried a number of notable cases that have shaped the political, social, and economic landscape of the United States. One such case is the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, which was decided in 1954. This case allowed public schools to desegregate, forcing an end to “separate but equal” schools. This decision paved the way for the eventual end of segregation and racial discrimination in education. Another notable case is Roe v. Wade, which was decided in 1973, legalizing a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion up until viability, as protected by the Constitution’s privacy clause. This decision remains a highly contentious issue to this day.

The Constitution of the United States also allows for the Supreme Court to weigh in on several pressing and contentious issues, such as same-sex marriage. The court’s 2015 decision in the Obergefell vs. Hodges case legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states, providing marriage equality for millions of Americans.

The Supreme Court has also decided on a number of other important social and economic issues, such as the legality of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), which was upheld under Chief Justice John Roberts in a landmark decision that upheld the constitutionality of the individual mandate clause.

The Supreme Court plays a fundamental role in the democratic functioning of the United States and in the lives of ordinary citizens. The court’s decisions have a significant impact and can shape the direction of the country for years to come. The court’s power, structure, and history make it essential in ensuring that the United States remains a democracy where no one branch, person, or party is above the law or the Constitution.

In conclusion, the Supreme Court is an institution that is critical to the functioning of a democratic United States. It has a vast amount of power and plays a pivotal role in interpreting the Constitution and defining federal law, as well as hearing and deciding upon some of the country’s most pressing and polarizing issues. Its function as the final court of appeal and its power to declare laws to be unconstitutional provide vital checks and balances on the legislative and executive branches of the United States government, ensuring that the country remains true to its democratic principles and ideals.


The creation of the United States Supreme Court came about through Article III, on “The Judicial Branch,” of the Constitution. The essential concept of a United States Supreme Court is dealt with in Section 1, “Judicial powers,” while the operation of the United States Supreme Court toward the American legal system as a whole is dealt with in Section 2, “Trial by Jury, Original Jurisdiction, Jury Trials.” While all of the subsequent shapes and functions which have been taken by the United States Supreme Court have derived their Constitutional basis from these sections, the language they contain, as is the case throughout the Constitution, are broad enough to allow for flexibility in interpretation and responding to new challenges.

The manner in which these generally understood terms have affected American history has often been determined by their earliest implementation. The Constitution suggested the scope of powers to be allowed to a United States Supreme Court, for instance, by specifying “Cases” and “Controversies.” The pertinence of these rules to the actual United States Supreme Court, however, was established by the Chief Justice himself, John Jay, when he pointedly turned down the chance to comment on President Washington’s foreign policy. Jay thus established that the United States Supreme Court should not extend beyond rendering case judgments to deciding general Government policy.

The Constitution had previously provided against the entanglement of the United States Supreme Court in political skirmishes by mandating that Justices could serve “during good Behavior”. In practice, this stipulation has been interpreted as setting a life term. The United States Supreme Court at once reflects the concerns and established practices of its time and allows for the institution to respond to issues of which the Founding Fathers could scarcely have conceived. As an example of the former point, the belief in the need for a United States Supreme Court came in part from the theory of the separation of powers as an aspect of governance.

The concept had previously been written about by the French Enlightenment philosopher Montesquieu and implemented to a limited extent in the English political structure. In order for the United States Supreme Court to play its part in realizing this principle, the idea of “judicial review” was invoked. The Constitution itself does not address judicial review. It was, however, on the minds of the Founding Fathers, as shown by references to the concept appearing in the Federalist Papers and the creation of a United States Supreme Court was in part aimed at this function. Moreover, the practicability of judicial oversight had already been demonstrated by its use in individual State courts.

As it was not directly set out in the Constitution, however, judicial oversight was not immediately claimed as a right by the Supreme Court, awaiting 1803 and Chief Justice John Marshall’s opinion on the case of Marbury v. Madison. Four separate Chief Justice appointments were made in the Supreme Court’s first decade, the last of which, John Marshall, marking the decision both for longer terms for that office and greater power in general for the Court.