In my American Government class we have been talking about the powers of the different branches of government. I found one lecture on the Supreme Court particularly relevant to our upcoming paper on power within society and the matrix of domination. The lecture made me realize that justices whom serve on the Supreme Court mostly belong to the majority, unmarked categories. As a result, the people whom belong to the marked categories, are even less represented in the government.
The Supreme Court is responsible for interpreting the laws; needless to say, they hold a great amount of power within the American government. I was surprised to learn that there are currently five strict Roman Catholic justices in power. On a Supreme Court of only 9 members, this ensures that a majority rule will favor Christian beliefs- thus the unmarked religious category will be represented more than the marked religious categories of Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism, among others. Additionally there have been only a few women to ever serve on the Judicial Court, giving men (whom belong to the unmarked category) more power in the government branch. As well, all of the justices in recent years have been privileged individuals that attended elite undergraduate and graduate schools. While this does not reflect the norm of society, it demonstrates the great division of power that exists. Only individuals with a high socioeconomic status whom can afford an elite education can maintain a position of power in the government.
Representation of the minority is not only lacking in the judicial branch. The vast majority of government officials are white, and only in the past few years have black, Latino, and Asian legislators been nominated to Congress. While the government is supposed to represent the American people. it seems ridiculous that certain groups of people whom are considered unmarked have access to lots of power, while others whom are considered marked have very little access to power in addition to littlw representation in the government.
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Thank you Romy for this relevant information. You might also think about the nomination process of these Supreme Court Judges. Although they are supposed to interpret the law for the well being of the population in general, the fact that they are chosen by the president and confirmed by Senate speaks to the lack of objectivity in choosing them. In particular, if any of you are interested, there has been a huge concern in regards to the appointment of the new Justices during the Bush reign and the potential for a reversal of the Roe v. Wade (which upheld a women's choice over her body). This has been a concern for feminists and a good example of how ideologies are implemented, enforces, challenged and resisted.
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