Landmark Supreme Court Cases

Paper Summary:

Friedrich Nietzsche submits that "morality is a reflection of the needs and circumstances of the dominant groups" and these changing needs have historically been reflected in the courts. Through an examination of four landmark Supreme Court cases, the paper examines how evolving perceptions of social morality, defined by economic and political factors, have shaped and altered the American experience over time. The paper examines the cases 'Scott v. Sanford', 'Plessy v. Ferguson', 'Brown v. Board of Education', and 'Bush v. Gore'.

From the Paper:

"The court stipulated that the inclusion and certification of any late returns was up to the descretion of the Secretary of State, Katherine Harris. Harris subsequently determined that no extensions were justified, prompting Gore's appeal to the Florida Supreme Court. The court ruled in favor of Gore prompting Bush's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court (FindLaw). Gore sued to compel the completion of the recount but lost, and Harris declared Bush the winner in Florida (FindLaw). The majority opinion of the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court was that the Florida recount was unconstitutional, noting inconsistencies in the ways in which votes were counted."

More papers on Landmark Supreme Court Cases:

• Essay # 4228 : "The Legacy of the Supreme Court and African American Freedom: From the Enforcement of Enslavement to the Attempt to Liberate"
• Essay # 28455 : "John Marshall's Leadership of the Supreme Court"
• Analytical Essay # 59189 : "Search and Seizure and the Rehnquist Court"

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