Blog #2 - The Supreme Court

      

  The Supreme Court of the United States was established in 1789 and it is the highest federal court in the country. It is also the head of the judicial branch of government. The Supreme Court has nine justices that interpret the constitution and have the ultimate jurisdiction over all laws within the United States. These nine justices also have the power to check the other two branches of government. This is a power called checks and balances. 

  Throughout its 200 year history, the Supreme Court of the United States has overheard many famous court cases. Some of these cases include Marbury v. Madison, Mapp v. Ohio, Roe v. Wade, and many other historical cases. Those cases among many others were landmark cases in the court's history because of the precedents that they set. A precedent is the first case to establish a rule or doctrine. These precedents have been established by the nine justices that sit on the court. 

  Some of the most famous Supreme Court Justices include John Marshall, Earl Warren, John Jay, Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and many others. These justices among the other justices throughout the history of the Supreme Court of the United States have established many significant laws such as Judicial Review, First Amendment rights, same-sex marriage, and many other laws and regulations. These justices are carefully confirmed or denied by the U.S. Senate after being nominated by the President of the United States and going through a rigorous interview process. The Supreme Court Justices today are Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Neil Gorsuch. 

 As one can clearly see, the Supreme Court of the United States has had a major part in shaping our country to what it is today. The laws and rules established by the highly qualified justices at the Supreme Court affect our daily lives and how our country runs on a daily basis.