The History and Workings of the U.S. Supreme Court

                     “We must never forget the constitution we are expounding”- John Marshall

     The Supreme Court is the highest court within the federal system of the United States. Outside of the US, the Supreme Court is the most powerful and authoritative judicial body on Earth making it a model for all high courts globally. Since 1789, the objective of the Supreme Court has been to uphold the rule of law in accordance with the US Constitution. Initially, the court consisted of one chief justice and five associate justices. Today, eight associate justices, as well as the chief justice, make up the Supreme Court. Something I did not know that I found to be truly surprising is that there have only been just over one hundred justices in US history and the average time they serve is just sixteen years. 

    The longest-serving and possibly most influential Chief Justice was John Marshall who served for thirty-four years. In 1803, the Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Madison, implemented something revolutionary at the time; it established a principle that would be followed for years to come. The principle, judicial review, was created defined by Marshall and states that the power of the court to review all actions by all departments of government and deem them constitutional or not. Marshalls time as chief justice, as well as this doctrine, gave the court immense power, respect, and faith from the public that it still holds today. 

            Presently, the court seeks to resolve national problems in the style of Marshall and has advantages like post-civil war amendments making it a “different” constitution to serve. The Supreme Court receives more than 100 cases a week and at least 7000 a year. The most important takeaway about the Supreme Court is that every petition received by them is given the same individual attention and consideration no matter whom it is filed by. It's facts like this that have earned the trust of the American people which is a substantial aspect of the power the court currently holds.