The Supreme Court is unique in its ability to rule. Appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, Supreme Court justices serve for life. For this reason, justices do not have to appease voters and campaign contributors to keep their positions. Therefore, the Supreme Court can make unbiased rulings based on its interpretations of the Constitution; this differs from elected officials who must answer to voters to get re-elected. The ability for the justices to interpret law with an unbiased lens often puts them ahead of the curve (and public opinion) on cultural and social issues.
For example, in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the justices ruled in favor of desegregation. At the time, the idea of racial integration in schools was extremely unpopular. The unpopularity of the Supreme Courts decision was made evident in the ensuing public outcry as well as the response by government officials. Immediately after the decision, the Arkansas Governor at the time, Orval Faubus, ordered the National Guard of Arkansas to block Little Rock Nine students from entering into the previously white-only school. Even after the Supreme Court had made its final decision, Governor Faubus didnt budge. It took President Eisenhower to send the 101st Airborne Army Division to enforce the Supreme Courts ruling.
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