The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest authority in the country's judicial system, standing alongside the executive and legislative branches in the federal government.
Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
The Dred Scott decision was a landmark 1857 US Supreme Court case that denied African Americans citizenship and upheld the legality of slavery. This page from Encyclopedia Britannica explores the case, providing information on Dred Scott and his case before the Supreme Court. Explore the implications of one of the most important cases in the history of the court.
In a 2009 conversation, former Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen G. Breyer lay out competing approaches to constitutional interpretation—Scalia’s textualist, strict constructionism versus Breyer’s evolutionary view of the Constitution in practice.
Birthright citizenship is a century-old policy in the US allowing any child born on native US soil to automatically become a US citizen. This policy avoids creating a class of individuals who are born in the country but who are not technically citizens. In recent years, the policy has come under question from administrations seeking to limit immigration to the US.
Hear from experts about originalism—the view that the Constitution should be interpreted according to its original public meaning—alongside its main counter-ideology, living constitutionalism, which argues that the document’s meaning should evolve with changing social and legal norms.
Marbury v. Madison (1803) was a landmark US Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review. This concept empowers American courts to invalidate laws and statutes that violate the Constitution. This decision significantly increased the influence and authority of the Supreme Court. This video from the History Channel outlines the case and its impact on American constitutional law.
This podcast episode examines Baker v. Carr, a landmark redistricting ruling that Earl Warren called the most important of his tenure—so divisive it triggered a justice’s breakdown and permanently reshaped American democracy.
Discover the National Constitution Center’s collection of landmark Supreme Court cases that shaped US history. Browse by constitutional topic to explore key rulings, their historical impact, and the legal principles they established. Each case includes a summary of the decision, along with notable excerpts from majority and dissenting opinions. Deepen your understanding of how these rulings continue to influence American law and society.
Appointing a US Supreme Court justice is a rigorous process involving multiple steps. The President nominates a candidate, who then undergoes thorough background checks and vetting. The Senate Judiciary Committee conducts public hearings to assess the nominee's qualifications and judicial philosophy. Following these hearings, the full Senate debates and votes on the nomination. This video from Ted-Ed outlines this process in detail.
In recent decades, Supreme Court nominations have grown increasingly contentious and partisan. This video examines the historical shift from once bipartisan and civil confirmation hearings to the deeply divisive process seen today. It focuses on the 1987 nomination of Robert Bork, the most recent nominee to be rejected, as an important moment in this transformation.
First Amendment litigator and law blogger Ken White hosts this podcast exploring the background of the most important First Amendment cases in American history. Case topics include inflammatory and defamatory speech, freedom of speech for students, and more. Whether you're a legal nerd or just curious about your rights, this podcast breaks it down in an engaging and accessible way.