The court system is better situated to protect the individual than the elected branches of government because it is independent and based on the rule of law. Courts do not have to worry about public opinion or political pressure, whereas elected officials must cater to the will of the voters. This independence makes the judiciary unbiased to any other branch of the government and the majority opinion. It allows the judiciary to stand up for the rights and liberties of people, even if those rights are unpopular or opposed by the majority. For example, the Supreme Court held in Brown v. Board of Education, 1954, that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and protected the rights of African American students. In this decision, the judiciary protected marginalized groups against discriminatory policies enacted or tolerated by elected officials. The mandate of the courts is to interpret and apply constitutional principles and check excesses in the executive and legislative branches of government.

I do not agree that the Supreme Court and federal court system are an anti-democratic part of our government. The judges are not elected by the people but appointed to be independent and impartial. It was designed that way by the framers, and as argued in Federalist #10, it was to guard against the dangers of majority rule and factionalism. The judiciary focuses on judicial interpretation through constitutional principles, not popular opinions or pressures. The appointment process ensures a selection of qualified judges to decide cases through their legal experience in applying the rule of law and not their ability to win the popular vote.

This system is the backbone of the framer’s intention to balance the influence between classes and prevent any single class’s domination over government. The judiciary was designed to guard individual rights, especially those of minorities, against the tyranny of the majority. Apart from elected representatives, who tend to succumb to the will of their constituents, judges interpret the laws with an objective approach.