Blog Post #2-Supreme Court

Under Article Three of the Constitution, the Supreme Court was born, and it reigns as the highest court in the United States. Originally only six justices were serving at a time, after 1869 the number was set to 9 where it now remains. Justices are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate to then serve for life. On average, the justices serve about 16 years. 

I learned that the Constitution does not state that they are appointed for life, but only "during good behavior," allowing them to only be taken off by impeachment. In history, this has only happened once and that was to Samuel Chase. 

I had always been taught in school about cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, and Loving v. Virginia, however, I had no idea it was all under one Chief Justice Earl Warren who put those profound decisions in place. His time served was monumental in the progression of history. 

Most importantly, it is a considerable power the Supreme Court holds. These justices go through an extensive hearing and appointment process, to make sure the responsibility continues into the proper hands. Hearing one of the justices in the video share how that power is no longer in the hands of the direct public through a ballot box, emphasizes the influence the justices have, and the importance of their roles. Through a long history, this institution continues to learn and grow from history, while still upholding the over 200-year-old Constitution.