The Supreme Court

In recent years, there has been a negative stigma surrounding the Supreme Court. Controversial nominees and the threat of packing the court has been a prevalent topic in the media, particularly since the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. This coverage has made people forget the true purpose of this system: to protect civil liberties. 

From: The Supreme Court of the United States

History.com published an article titled "Supreme Court" that went into detail about the history and current state of the Supreme Court of the United States (or SCOTUS for short). Perhaps the most interesting fact included in this article was that, at its creation in 1789, the SCOTUS's original purpose was to protect individual property rights. The first case ever handled by the SCOTUS was the case of West v. Barnes pertaining to the issue of a farmer owing money to a family. It was not until the 1930’s that the Court transitioned to being the protector of civil liberties. Over the years, there have been 115 total members of the Supreme Court, fluctuating between five to ten members at a time. Since 1869, there have been nine members.

While all of these facts are super interesting, it is even more important to remember that the Supreme Court is here to protect your inalienable rights, and the stigma must be removed. The polarization between political parties has made nearly every aspect of government close to impossible, but the Supreme Court should be the one branch that is free from these issues.

All information was gathered from history.com.