The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, with the final say on matters of federal law and the Constitution. It is a co-equal branch of government, along with Congress and the Executive Branch, and has the power to interpret laws and regulations that affect the entire country. The Court is made up of nine Justices, who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They serve for life, unless they resign or are impeached and removed from office.
The Supreme Court hears cases that are appealed from lower courts, typically involving important legal questions or issues of national importance. The Court has the power of judicial review, which means it can declare laws or actions of the other branches unconstitutional. This power was established in the landmark case Marbury v. Madison, where the Court declared that it had the authority to review and invalidate laws that violated the Constitution. Over time, the Court has used this power to strike down laws that discriminate against minority groups, protect individual rights, and ensure that the government does not overstep its bounds.
One of the most significant roles of the Supreme Court is to interpret the Constitution and ensure that it remains relevant and applicable to modern society. The Court has interpreted the Constitution to protect individual liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and privacy, and to advance civil rights for marginalized communities. For example, in the case Brown v. Board of Education, the Court held that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, paving the way for the Civil Rights Movement. In recent years, the Court has also addressed issues such as same-sex marriage, voting rights, and the death penalty, demonstrating its continued relevance and impact on American society.