SCOTUS: Power Based on Trust

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is arguably the most powerful court in the world because of the trust invested in the court by the American people. As the Supreme Court video viewed in my Media Law and Literacy course noted, an unspoken contract is signed between SCOTUS and the citizens that they will obey SCOTUS' decisions in order to keep our nation the freest in the world.

This trust from the American people puts great responsibility in the justices' hands. The justices believe professionalism to be crucial, and focus on maintaining a strong professional nature among them at all times. For example, before every conference, each justice shakes every other justices' hands. In order to fulfill their responsibility to the public to the fullest, SCOTUS remains extremely private, as all of their deliberations and decisions are conducted with only the 9 justices in the room, without any additional staff or record keepers.

In a world that is constantly changing, SCOTUS remains true to a document over 200 years old: our Constitution. In the Supreme Court video, Justice Ginsburg notes how simple yet important phrases such as 'We the People' has incorporated more and more people than in the original constitutional meaning. Another individual mentions how the 14th Amendment has essentially become the 2nd bill of rights because of its integral part in how our contemporary society operates.

Overall, the power of SCOTUS rests in public faith. This trust results in great responsibility, especially in an ever-changing society founded upon the beautifully crafted words of the Constitution.

That's all for now!