Supreme Court Reflection

The Supreme Court is a model of high courts across the world.

Before watching this video, I knew the U.S. Supreme Court was an important part of the government, but I did not realize just how influential it is. One of the most surprising things I learned is that the Supreme Court serves as a model for high courts around the world and is the most powerful judicial body on Earth.

Current Chief Justice John Roberts

The Court is made up of nine justices, and petitions arrive by the thousands every year. I was surprised to learn that the Court receives around 7,000 cases annually but only accepts about 100 of them for review. That statistic alone changed how I think about the Court’s role and the selectiveness of its work.

Another interesting detail was how the justices do much of their work in private. They deliberate and reach decisions behind closed doors, and their power ultimately rests on public faith in the institution. Once a case reaches the Supreme Court, the public no longer has a direct way to influence the verdict through voting, which highlights the responsibility the justices carry.

Something that stood out to me was how rare it is to become a Supreme Court justice. The video described it as like being struck by lightning, and it can take three to five years for new justices to fully adjust to the role. More than 100 people have served as justices, with the average justice serving about 16 years.

John Marshal

I also learned about Chief Justice John Marshall and the landmark case Marbury v. Madison. The Court’s decision to strike down an act of Congress as unconstitutional helped establish its authority and earned public respect. Marshall’s quote, “We must never forget it is a constitution we are expounding,” was especially memorable.

On the other hand, I was shocked to learn about the Dred Scott decision. The ruling claimed Congress had no power to ban slavery, and the video described it as the Court’s greatest self-inflicted wound because it weakened the Court’s authority.

What changed my view of the Supreme Court the most was learning about the professionalism among the justices. They shake each other’s hands before rulings, even when they strongly disagree. I also learned that some justices change their views during conferences after hearing other perspectives. To me, that demonstrates open-mindedness, respect, and a commitment to the law above personal differences.

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AI DISCLOSURE: This post was a collaboration using Microsoft Copilot. I took detailed notes while watching a 20-minute video about the history of the Supreme Court. In addition to facts that I learned, I emphasized my own reactions and opinions while watching. I then asked Copilot to help me improve the text by correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I then asked Copilot to help me shape the text into a blog post format. After reviewing the text, I added links to related resources, as well as appropriate images and captions. 

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My Top Five Sources of News and Information

TikTok

TikTok is probably my biggest source of information. I spend a good amount of time throughout the day on TikTok, and often, many of the videos I see are about current events. TikTok has a wide variety of videos, and by engaging with news-related videos, it has kept me more informed on what's going on, not only in the United States, but around the world. Something unique about TikTok that you can't get from a regular news source is the variety of videos and content. Many of these videos are argumentative and involve debates. Seeing videos about events and issues going on around the world and then seeing people debate and talk about it helps me to better understand the information as I'm engaged in it. However, a large percentage of the content on TikTok isn't credible, so when I'm watching, I take the information I receive with a grain of salt and use other sources of information to verify important details.

    

Google

Google is another helpful source that I use. The reason why it's such a good source for information is that you can search anything and have access to millions of resources. I might use Google to verify something I saw on TikTok if I am skeptical about its credibility. Many times, Google has confirmed the information on TikTok as blatantly false. Google is a valuable source that can be used to learn anything you want but is also helpful in other ways when used alongside other sources of information.

YouTube

Although YouTube is primarily thought of as a source of entertainment, it also serves as a source of news and information. Like Google, YouTube offers a variety of different videos, ranging from short updates on current events to a documentary about an important event or conflict. A valuable part of YouTube is that the videos are entertaining. Many people find the news boring, but watching an interesting documentary is a great way I've found to learn. The most recent documentary I watched was about trench raiders in World War I, and I found it as interesting as some movies. YouTube has an abundant amount of information, and I've found it to be one of the most interesting and entertaining ways to learn.

X

I don't use X as much as the other sources of information mentioned in this blog; however, I still find it useful from time to time. One thing I like about X that can't be found on other sources of information is that anyone can make posts about their opinions in relation to any piece of information or event. I like seeing different perspectives and sides of an argument, especially if it's a controversial topic, so X allows me to see both sides while offering different perspectives and pieces of information.

Instagram

I use Instagram in a similar way to TikTok. I find that I receive a greater variety of content and information on TikTok as opposed to Instagram. However, I still find it to be a helpful source of information. One thing I like about Instagram is that you can choose to be updated every time someone posts, so if I'm following the Instagram account of one of the clubs on campus, I can choose to be notified every time they make a post. Many clubs use Instagram to announce when they are meeting or to share important information. This is one example of how I find Instagram to be a helpful source of information.