Supreme Court Rulings and Its Impact on America Essay

The battle that marked the confirmation of the United States Senate over the nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh serves a great reminder of the importance of the court to individual citizens and the U.S system of government. Historically, appointments to the Supreme Court are considered to be among the most critical decision of the president (Sekulow p.11). Considering the length of their terms, the justices of the court have a significant impact on the society and law long after an administration vacates the White House. Presidents have had that in mind while making appointments to fill vacancies. The article explores the impact of the Supreme Court's rulings on American society. It is argued that the founders of the American republic recognized that with the intricate governmental structure of checks and balances, the Supreme Court and its decisions have an enormous impact on the life of every U.S. citizen.

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The responsibility of Congress is to formulate laws, and the main function of the president is the enforcement of such laws. On the other hand, it is the mandate of the judiciary, an arm of the government to interpret the law under the leadership of the Supreme Court. As opined by Lerner and Cummings, the court was comprised of nine justices until 1989 where they were reduced to six (p.31). During the early year after the independence, the influence exerted by the Supreme Court was very little. In 1803, the legal landscape was changed following a court's decision that introduced the principle of judicial review. From the time, it has been within the mandate of the court to decide whether the actions of the Congress, state legislature or the President are executed as per the U.S. Constitution. Few nations have a scenario as strong as that of the U.S. where the role of the Supreme Court is to interpret the law, and their rulings become law. Throughout the years, major disputes have been settled by the court, including those between the state governments and federal governments, and between the President and Congress.

The Supreme Court has often mirrored the changing nature of society. In the nineteen century, justices of the court issued an ill-famed ruling that upheld the decision to deny full citizenship to African-American slaves. The high court, a century later, took a leading role in compelling state governments to desegregate the education system, a decision that contributed positively to the civil right movement during the sixties. According to Watson, the famous Supreme Court's decision on the legalization of abortion was issued in 1973, which accurately reflected the lives of average Americans (Watson p.56). Therefore, the Supreme Court is the ultimate authority as every issue turns into a legal question subject to its adjudication.

Over the recent past, the court has handled cases that aimed to delineate the power of the central government to control the private sector. Other cases at stake touch on abortion rights, separation of the state and the church, product liability laws, and environmental laws. These aspects are fundamentally at stake in the third arm of the government that serves the public for life (Lerner & Cummings p.10). The approval process following nomination to the Supreme Court is a rigorous process, which tends to shed insights into the judicial philosophy of the nominee (Jones p.91). A great deal of attention is paid to the process because it is believed the court is critical to the success of any administration and the society as a whole.

Unlike other arms of government, the Supreme Court is distinct as its members have no term limits, and cannot be recalled by voters as are members of the Congress and the President. However, the highest court tends to mirror the country's sharp political divisions. Recently, the Supreme Court has delivered multiple 5-4 decisions on several critical legal issues, such as criminals' rights, the death penalty, and affirmative action, as well as hiring preferences for minorities and women (Native Americans p.43). The concern is that the country is deeply divided, a picture well painted during elections. Relatively small margins have elected presidents, and such divisions have intensified the need for political forces to have control over the court. Ironically, the Supreme Court is a reflection of the American society with justices playing a pivotal role in the divisions within the court. In addition, the court is considered the most clandestine of the three arms of the government. Although arguments in the court are subject to public and the press, justices deliberate and deliver rulings in private, typically through written briefs and questions from the media are rarely a concern.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court has received blame and credit in equal measures due to its scope of influence on the American society. To date, the decisions that the court has arrived at have had a significant impact on the pace of transformation of the country. The impacts of these decisions have not only enhanced the status of American citizens but also limited the procedure of enforcement bodies and clearly defined lawbreakers' rights. As such, the Supreme Court has and will continue to have a profound effect on America and behaviors of U.S. citizens, as well as the nation's political structure.

Works Cited

Jones, Howard. Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and Its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy. Omaha, NE: Notable Trials Library, 1987.

Lerner, Max, and Richard Cummings. Nine Scorpions in a Bottle: Great Judges and Cases of the Supreme Court., 2017.

Native Americans and the Supreme Court. Silver Spring, MD: Business Publishers, Inc, 1998.

Watson, Blake A. Buying America from the Indians: Johnson V. Mcintosh and the History of Native Land Rights. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2012.

Sekulow, Jay. Witnessing Their Faith: Religious Influence on Supreme Court Justices and Their Opinions. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2006.