Blog Post #2 Reflection Questions On The Founding Era

The U.S. Supreme Court is one of the most important institutions in American governance, but its inner workings and historical evolution often remain less understood. After exploring the 20-minute videos, several key takeaways and reflections emerge about its history, structure, and function.

1. What did you learn about the Supreme Court that you didn't already know?

One of the interesting insights is certiorari and the "rule of four." I did not know that the Supreme Court has discretion over the cases it takes up and only takes them up when at least four of the nine justices believe a case should be decided. The gatekeeper mechanism enables the Court to work on cases with great constitutional consequence and allocate the limited resources of the Court to those issues which have an impact on national jurisprudence. The video also pointed out to me the distinction between positive and negative rights, which is a distinction I had never really thought about. Positive rights require action by the government to provide services, like public education, where negative rights serve to protect individuals from government interference, like freedom of speech. This is an important distinction because it aids in understanding how the Court views interpretation of rights under the Constitution.

2. What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?

More importantly, however, the Supreme Court has used its power of judicial review, established in Marbury v. Madison (1803), to act as a guardian of the constitutional balance of power: not only checking the other two branches by declaring laws unconstitutional but also working toward keeping the Constitution as the highest law in the land. In this manner, the Court performs an important function in safeguarding democracy and individual freedoms.

3. What did you find most surprising to learn?

More surprising to me was the principle of stare decisis and how flexible it can be: whereas the Court generally follows precedents to ensure stability and predictability, cases such as Brown v. Board of Education reveals quite the opposite the Court does change its mind as society and values are different from before or when a previous ruling was wrong in hindsight. This flexibility within the Court's practice was what I wasn't fully aware of before.

4. How did the video change the way you thought about the Supreme Court?

That video changed my view of the Supreme Court as a legal institution into a living one: reflecting and changing along with societal variation. Its rulings transcend simple interpretations of laws carve out national values and answer some of the most profound ethical and political questions. Discussion on prior restraints versus subsequent punishments further showed how subtly the Court is balancing free expression against the need for order and accountability.

Conclusion

But the Supreme Court is far more than a method of settling legal disputes; it is a cornerstone in American democracy that also evolves with the nation's strategic case selection to its pivotal role in interpreting the Constitution-thus, the Court is influential in the lives of every citizen and course of society. These insights not only deepened my understanding but also made me realize with greater emphasis the importance of this institution in shaping the past, present, and future of the United States.