BLOG POST #2

BLOG POST #2   About the history and workings of the U.S. Supreme Court using this 20-minute video as a jumping off point — Part I and Part II.  —OR—  Read this overview about the Supreme Court created by the History Channel:  SCOTUS History   Reflect on these questions:

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

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

• What was the most surprising thing you learned?

• How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court?

I have never been one to keep up with politics. No matter how much news breezes past my head, the information never seems to retain in my head. There is always chaos and drama regarding this topic. However, as I was reading the history of the Supreme Court, I found myself becoming invested yet again in this mysterious field.4

#1: I didn't know how frequently the number of positions on the Supreme Court were adjusted. It makes sense, due to how they must have had to balance power, but I found out that used to be made up of only five members for a time. For a group that overlooks such important decisions, it shocked me that such a small amount of people had such say for a time.

#2: I learned that no matter how you slice it, this group has been making the most important decisions for us for a long time. Recently, their decisions have caused a lot of drama and uncertainty for the future. But, it is crazy to see just how long they have been looking over us, deciding how we should be living. 

#3: I was shocked to read that Chief justice John Marshall serve the Supreme court fore more than 30 years of his life. I can't imagine the pressure for someone his age, let alone being in that position for that long. Doing more research, I learned that he stayed in his position until he died, which shook me even more.

#4: I learned through the video that no justice has ever been impeached, except for Samuel Chase in 1805. I also learned that they only impeach based off of breaking good behavior. It really changed how I looked at the Supreme Court, as it means that everyone there was able to keep their cool through these tough times and prevail with an answer.