78, Alexander Hamilton described the judiciary as: If the Founding Fathers observed the Court today, some would be astonished at the breadth of its power. The Supreme Court’s Power Under the Constitution This blog, the first of a three-part series, will discuss the Supreme Court’s powers under the constitution, Congress’ power to check the Court, and the history of Congress’ use of these powers. The Court may act, but its fellow branches may respond. These restrictions on the Court’s power are part of the United States Constitution and may be exercised by elected branches with the political will to do so. Like the legislative and executive branches, it is subject to checks and balances. As the Court’s recent decisions demonstrate, it possesses vast power and the ability to decide how the law affects Americans’ freedoms and governance.īut the Supreme Court does not exist in a vacuum. Harvard, cases that could further upend American democracy and drastically reshape national policy. Milligan, and Students for Fair Admissions v.

In the upcoming term, the Court will decide cases like Moore v. The Court’s rulings unquestionably have impacted and will impact millions of Americans. In the 2021 term, the Supreme Court upended decades of precedent on abortion and gun control. Bruen, which curbed gun safety legislation.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, and New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. We saw this in June 2022's decisions in Dobbs v. Yet we know the Court can also take away rights, even those that had been considered safe for decades. Clayton County have helped confirm and protect equal rights for LGBTQIA+ residents. More recently, the Court’s rulings in cases like Obergefell v. For example, from 1953 to 1969, the Warren Court oversaw an unprecedented expansion of individual rights and civil liberties, bringing America closer to a multi-racial democracy than ever before. Through its work, we've seen major social justice advances over the past century. The US Supreme Court, in its modern form, holds a place of deference and respect in the minds of many Americans.

N.y. courts seek root out racism