SCOTUS Defined
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest federal court in the US. Throughout its history, it has handed down many important decisions that still shape our nation to this day. Created under the constitution, the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over all laws in the US and is used to determine “constitutionality” of said laws. The court is made up of 9 justices, with one chief justice that is responsible for oversight of the Supreme Court and creating the agenda for all other justices to follow. The fact that there are 9 justices is of extreme importance. The uneven number can tip the balance in one party’s favor if they have more representation than another. In today’s world, the Supreme Court is of increasing importance with the divide that is seen between the nation’s most prominent political parties, Republicans and Democrats.
Since its inception in 1789, the Supreme Court has handed down many decisions for better and for worse. Some of the worst decisions had to do with civil rights or the denial of said rights. For instance, Japanese Internment was upheld in 1944 by Korematsu v. United States and Plessy v. Ferguson upheld segregation laws. When looking at decisions and justices that are of the highest relevance today, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is perhaps the most important. With the polarizing effects Donald Trump’s tenure as president has had on the nation, Ginsburg has been the glue holding many decisions in place. Trump has been pushing for another Republican justice. This would likely peel back much of the great work Ginsburg has fought for, such as her support of gender equality and abortion. Specifically with abortion, Ginsburg has been steadfast with the importance federally funded programs that support planned parenthood. In Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, Ginsburg opposed the law that would seek to regulate abortion providers. The assertion was that the legislation against abortion would be in the best interest of women’s health. However, this is far from the truth and is why Ginsburg’s position in the Supreme Court remains extremely important. Peeling back any planned parenthood funding would deny women opportunities for cancer screenings, affordable birth control, etc. There are so many important nuances to this kind of legislation that goes far beyond abortion.
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