The Supreme Court and its Brief History

 

In 1789, President George Washington signed the Judiciary Act into law, creating what is arguably the most powerful lawful body in the present world. As a vital part of the checks and balances within the U.S. government, the Supreme Court has the important job of making sure that the Legislative and Executive branches are functioning within the Constitutional powers given to them. While the first Supreme Court consisted of six justices, it was later determined that there may be a minimum of five justices and a maximum of ten. In 1869, the Supreme Court was set to nine justices and has remained at that number since. The Supreme Court has been responsible for ensuring that laws that the Legislative branch passes, are constitutionally correct and for over 100 years since its birth, the Supreme Court was required to hold court twice a year in each judicial circuit. In its early days, they were required to take every case given to them; however, this has since changed which has allowed the court to determine which cases they will review. Being the highest court system in the United States, it is no surprise that the Supreme Court has made some of the most influential decisions in the country’s history. For example, in Brown v. Board of Education, they banned school segregation, in Miranda v. Arizona they determined that it was required for police officers to state, “you have the right to remain silent”, and in Loving v. Virginia, they abolished prohibitions against interracial marriage. Unfortunately, like most things in life, there are also decisions made for the worst. In 1857 they voted to deny African American slaves’ citizenship, in 1896 they voted to continue state segregation laws, and even voted to uphold Japanese American camps during WWII. Throughout its life, 115 justices have served on the court until their death or retirement, and what started with 6 justices guided by chief justice John Jay has transformed and developed into today’s 9 justices guided by chief justice John Roberts, Jr. The Supreme Court has helped to guide our nation throughout some of the most complex and controversial topics that have arisen throughout our history and will (hopefully) continue to do so until the death of this nation. 

My Top News Sources

 

Prager University

One of my favorite segments of theirs is the 5-minute video pieces they produce. These videos are extremely helpful when dealing with specific policy-related issues within the government. This is because Prager U takes that specific issue, broadens the topic, and then pieces together the facts behind why the policy was created and how it will affect various issues within our democracy. These videos also revolve heavily around history and factual evidence to explain why a policy would or wouldn’t be beneficial. They also include all of their sources so that you can further look into the information yourself.

The Rubin Report

The Rubin Report is a talk show hosted by Dave Rubin in which he interviews different activists, authors, professors, journalists, etc. about different issues within their field. While Rubin identifies as a libertarian, he brings on guests from all over the political spectrum, sometimes several at a time, and has thoughtful discussions. What I love about this show is that I feel that I can always learn something new as long as I keep an open mind. Rubin is also extremely good at maintaining a calm atmosphere throughout the conversation so that there is little talk over one another. He is also very good at listening before injecting his opinion or asking further questions. 

The Daily Wire

The Daily Wire leans conservative; however, they do a good job of writing with verifiable facts.  They present information in a clear and easy to understand manner. They also don’t write in a cruel or disheartening way. I also love watching Ben Shapiro’s podcast, "the Shapiro Show”, whenever the topic revolves heavily around the law. Having graduated from Harvard law school, he offers a very clear explanation of the law at hand and how the topic does or does not fall within said law. While Shapiro is conservative, he will be the first to criticize mistakes made by the Republican party and or Republican members of congress. 

Fox News

While I don’t typically read many articles from Fox News, I very much enjoy their segment, “Tucker Carlson Tonight”, hosted by Tucker Carlson. During this segment, Carlson discusses hot topics within politics. Carlson frequently brings on guests that are very familiar with the topic to allow for further analysis of the issue at hand. The main reason I love Carlson’s segment is his asking rhetorical questions. He displays information on the topic and asks the questions that the audience is either not able to ask themselves or didn’t think of themselves. This allows the viewer to come to their own conclusion based off of what has been presented to them. In my opinion, this is the best way to educate yourself on controversial topics because you are forced to use critical thinking to come to an answer rather than be spoon-fed someone else's point of view. 

Dennis Prager Fireside Chat

Fireside Chat is a podcast hosted by Dennis Prager. These podcasts are roughly 30 minutes so they are easy to listen to while getting ready in the morning or when you’re having a meal. Prager keeps these chats very mellow which helps with the ease of listening. Prager often takes calls or responds to written questions. This allows for discussion based off of what the audience wants to hear. He is extremely descriptive in his explanation of his views and responds heavily with historical facts, which I greatly enjoy because history often holds the answer to problems before they even arise. Prager is also a huge advocate of free speech and maintaining truth. This is something that should be a top priority for all Americans, especially younger generations now dealing with the suffocating power of big tech.