Supreme Court Reflection

 

A gavel that is used in the court by a judge.

    When I first learned about the Supreme Court in AP Government, I understood the basics: it interprets the Constitution, checks the other branches, and decides whether laws are constitutional. But after diving deeper, I realized just how much history, intention, and nuance shape the Court’s power—and why it plays such a crucial role in maintaining balance in our government.

   

 One of the biggest revelations for me was understanding why the Court holds the authority it does. The founders were deeply worried about creating a government that could become as overpowering as Great Britain’s. So, they designed a system where each branch had equal power—or at least, that was the intention.

But history had other plans.

The Court didn’t always have the influence it has today. When John Marshall became Chief Justice, things changed dramatically. The landmark case Marbury v. Madison established judicial review, giving the Court the ability to decide whether government actions are constitutional. That single decision reshaped the balance of power.

I immediately connected this to the Alien and Sedition Acts—laws that made it a crime to criticize the government. Without judicial review, acts like that could have gone unchecked, threatening the First Amendment and opening the door to government overreach.

   Another surprising part was learning how selective the Court is. Out of thousands of petitions, they take only about 100 cases a year. Before watching the videos, I had never heard the term certiorari, but now it makes sense: choosing not to take a case isn’t the same as agreeing with the lower court. It’s simply the Court deciding which issues are important enough to address at the national level. I was also surprised with how selective the Supreme Court is about their cases. They only take around 100 a year even though they get thousands. Before watching the videos I did not hear of the word certiorari. It makes more sense looking at cases that they choose not to take and realizing they aren't just agreeing. 

    As someone who did debate in high school, I imagined Supreme Court arguments as intense, back‑and‑forth battles. But the reality is much more conversational. The justices ask questions, interrupt, push, and probe—not to “win,” but to understand.

And the voting process? It’s far from black and white. There are layers of interpretation, precedent, and constitutional philosophy behind every decision.

The biggest takeaway for me is that the Supreme Court’s power isn’t just written in the Constitution—it’s also rooted in the respect people give its decisions. The entire system was built to limit government power while protecting individual rights, and the Court sits at the center of that balance.

Honestly, it’s become my favorite branch of government. It’s the one that keeps everything in check.

Overall, these videos completely changed how I see the Supreme Court. Most people think of it as nine justices handing down answers, but there’s so much more happening behind the scenes. Every decision involves history, process, debate, and interpretation of a document written centuries ago.

That’s why the Court is both respected and controversial—and why its role in American democracy is so essential.

AI DISCLAIMER: AI was not used in the research and information for this blog post. All information came from notes that I took while watching a video titled "Supreme Court of the United States." I then prompted Microsoft Copilot to help me shape my notes into a blog post. I then added links to online sources that the reader could pursure for more information. Finally I added appropriate images and captions to help break up the type and give the post a more professional look.