IJ - Impact of the Supreme Court Lesson

The Impact of the Supreme Court

Introduction

Picture of a Court Building The Supreme Court plays a very important role in our constitutional system of government. First, as the highest court in the land, it is the court of last resort for those looking for justice. Second, due to its power of judicial review, it plays an essential role in ensuring that each branch of government recognizes the limits of its own power. Third, it protects civil rights and liberties by striking down laws that violate the Constitution. Finally, it sets appropriate limits on democratic government by ensuring that popular majorities cannot pass laws that harm and/or take undue advantage of unpopular minorities. In essence, it serves to ensure that the changing views of a majority do not undermine the fundamental values common to all Americans.  

The decisions of the Supreme Court have an important impact on society at large, not just on lawyers and judges. The decisions of the Court have a profound impact on high school students. In fact, several landmark cases decided by the Court have involved students.  

Review Information

"Ethics requires that intelligence fuse with intuition, that the process be internalized, and that decisions be made quickly and naturally." - Rushworth Kidder. Teaching journalism is to teach more than a subject. It is to teach a craft, a profession - a responsibility.  

A 2006 Gallup Poll on Honesty & Ethics revealed that journalists were ranked 13th out of 23 professions as 26% of respondents said journalists had high or very high ethical standards. Overall, journalists were listed above state governors, business executives, and lawyers, but below chiropractors, bankers, and psychiatrists. A 1996 Harris Poll revealed that 75% of American adults said journalism is politically biased, and only 33% said news media dealt fairly with all sides.  

For a profession that prides itself on truth and honesty and relies on its audience to believe in that truth and accuracy, ethics may strike at the heart of journalism's survival. A lack of sound ethical decisions equals a lack of credibility in the eyes of the public, and in this age of new media, that may mean an end to journalism.  

The Journalistic Code of Ethics is organized around four main principles:  

  1. Seek truth and report it.  
  2. Minimize harm.
  3. Act independently.
  4. Be accountable.

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