Supreme Court Analysis

    In my previous years of schooling, we very briefly went over American history, including the Supreme Court. To be fully honest, I do not recall most about what I've learned about the Supreme Court, since it has been so long. So, these videos, Supreme Court pt. 1 and pt. 2, jogged my memory on the system. I also took the time to read the history article on the Supreme Court.  

    I found it really interesting how the Supreme Court is made up of such a small group of people, and how it has differed over the years. Originally, it bounced back between 5 and 10 seats for many years, before ultimately deciding on 9 in 1869. It surprised me that the court was made up of only five people at one point, and how limited the diversity of opinion would have been. 

    I enjoyed learning about the respect each of the justices had for each other, even back when these videos were made. I was happy to hear them speak about how they shake hands before they begin their discussion to build relationships, and avoid holding grudges if there was a disagreement. I assumed the people working in the Supreme Court were mature and respectful, but it is nice to be reassured. 

    The most surprising thing I learned was said by the chief of justice, William H. Rehnquist. He explained that before he became chief, multiple people would speak their opinions first, without letting everyone have a chance to share their beliefs about it. He now makes sure to implement a policy that everyone has to speak once before someone can speak twice, which I believe is a more effective way of settling things. This also allows everyone to share their beliefs without their opinion getting swayed. 

    Honestly, my opinion of the Supreme Court has not changed, because I really didn't have an opinion on the Supreme Court to begin with. I hear often from other people who are more involved in politics than I am, that the Supreme Court is always swayed one way or another, and is an unfair judge of policies. Although, this video (even though it was released a while ago) painted the supreme court to be much more accepting of all people and opinions as I had previously imagined.