Supreme Court Vs Circuit Court

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There was much disagreement among the framers in regard to the strength of the Supreme Court’s power as a branch of the federal government. As with the disagreement over policy concerning slavery, no consensus could be arrived at. So the founders deliberately resolved to stay silent on the scope and range of the Court’s powers, rather leaving that up to the Legislature (Bianco & Canon, 2015). Many changes have been witnessed throughout American history to the Judiciary branch, ranging from its number of justices to its complex, web-like structure of district and circuit courts. So how does today’s Supreme Court stack up when compared to the other branches of the federal government? To answer this, we must review, in detail, the decision …show more content…

Reflecting on these attributes, they seem to create a dilemma for the institution. On one hand, the justices can be seen as insulated from the normal pressures and politics inherent to a governing body - making it seem less democratically responsive. While on the other hand, its singular voice can be seen as an influential partner in the policy making process. One reason for this dilemma, is that instead of the arduous campaigning and election process that politicians must endure, justices are appointed to their positions by the president and confirmed by Congress. At first glance, this may make the branch appear weak and at the mercy of the legislature and executive. Afterall, wouldn’t you feel indebted to the person who gave you lifelong job security? But, at the same time, the Supreme Court Justices’ salaries are protected by the Constitution. From that, it can be concluded that Congress does not have the ability to …show more content…

This model hypothesizes that the judges follow the laws as written, until they are no longer clear. Then, it is each judge’s personal ideology and political attitude that guides them in their decisions. In following this logic, the judges can be, at times, unconstrained by the law and can operate dynamically, depending on who is serving. This can be used as a solid predictor for how each judge will decide. Looking at the current Supreme Court, Ginsburg appears to possess the most liberal ideology while Thomas is very conservative and Kennedy is closests to the middle and often operates as the swing vote. However, if this model was to be foolproof, it would be hard to explain Justice Roberts’, a more conservative member of the court, decision in upholding the Affordable Care

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