American citizens need the power of the constitution and the judicial review in order to

protect their rights from overreaching authorities. The constitution not only designates and
restricts the power of government but also ensures the liberties and rights of each and every
citizen. As the people, we must remain constantly vigilant of any violations of these rights and
understand how to defend them if or when they are disregarded, because the security of our
rights ensures our freedom and democracy. Because of this need to be aware, we should also
understand the constitution and recognize the two types of interpreters, loose constructionists and
strict constructionists. The court system is the fundamental power that allows a persons case to
be heard, evaluated, and judged so that justice may prevail. Through this judicial system, the
governments power should be regulated and the peoples rights should be protected.
The very first sentence in Section 2 of Article 3 of the Constitution states the judicial
power over all Cases arising under this Constitution [and] the Laws of the United States.
Due to the childlike behavior often seen in the governmental powers, we need someone (the
Supreme Court) to be able to mediate the governments immature actions. In the case of
McCulloch v, Maryland, the court had to decide if the federal government had the power to
create a national bank and whether a state could tax an agency of the federal government. This
issue came about when Maryland attempted to cause the Bank of the United States to go into
bankruptcy by taxing it tremendously instead of being an adult and solving its issues through the
proper channels. Marylands bitterness stemmed from the belief that the Constitution does not
specifically grant the government the ability to create a national bank. However, the opposing
side argued the Constitution grants the federal government the power to coin money, regulate
the value thereof and to make all necessary and proper for carrying into execution the
foregoing power in Section 8 of Article One. Here lies one of the earliest clashes between loose

constructionists and strict constructionists. The Supreme Court had to make the decision of
whether the government can have a power or not if it is not directly stated in the Constitution. In
this particular case, the court sided with the loose constructionists; Chief Justice John Marshall
said that the Constitution should be adapted to the various crises of human affairs.
Furthermore, the court deemed that a state could not tax a federal operation since the tax impedes
and destroys the purpose of the operation. Although Marylands efforts were commendable and
clever, its sly actions could not get past the parental eye of the Supreme Court. It is unproductive
for the state governments to have the power to undercut the authority of the federal government
through taxations. This ruling set the precedent for many future rulings considering the
interpretation of the constitution and prevented possible discord (immaturity) between the state
and federal government so that the two work cohesively rather than against each other.
American citizens also look to the Supreme Court to uphold the rights given to them in
the Constitution, specifically in the Bill of Rights. As a citizen of a federalist nation in which the
government retains a large sum of power, I should not have to live in fear of the authorities that I
elected as my representatives abusing my natural rights. The court system is one of the most
important systems in which our cases can be heard and acted upon so that we may be protected
from the injustices inflicted by higher authority. In the current case of Holt v. Hobbs, the court
must decide if a Muslim prisoner has the right to grow a beard even though the length of the
facial hair violates the regulations of the Arkansas prison. According to the article How Serious
Is the Supreme Court About Religious Freedom, although the prison fears that a one-half-inch
beard is a security threat, the court will most likely rule in the favor of the prisoner Gregory Holt
considering that such a beard doesnt seem like a realistic hiding place for weapons capable of
legitimate harm. Maybe the Arizona prison should consult the countless prisons in the country

that have the confidence to allow their prisoners to have beards. Besides common sense, the
Supreme Court will base its decision off of the first amendment, which clearly states that there
should be no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof. Many people argue that a prisoner forfeits his rights once he is in prison; although
prisoners do lose some of their rights, the rights established in the first amendment are still
guaranteed. For the government to deny any American his or her rights guaranteed by the first
amendment would absolutely nullify the implied trust established between representatives and
those being represented. We obey our government, we pay taxes, and we acknowledge the
decisions handed down by our Supreme Court because we trust it to defend the liberty of all
American citizens, and so it shall. This case illustrates not only the ability but also the need for
the Supreme Courts defense of the liberty of American citizens.
In order for this Judicial system to work as the forefathers had originally planned, the
Justices of the Supreme Court must maintain uncorrupted judgment, understanding of the need
for cohesiveness, and alertness for the rights of the American people. If at any time the Supreme
Court succumbs to corruption that sways their opinions for individual gain, the system will fail.
In return for the courts integrity, the people must trust in the courts to control the governments
power and use the court system to present their cases so that their rights may be defended. If the
Supreme Court successfully interprets and administers the foundations set out in the
Constitution, then our government will, as stated in the Preamble, establish justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure
the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity thereby creating a more perfect Union.