The writers of the US Constitution were determined to separate the powers of the federal government in to three branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. The prime function of the judicial branch is to interpret the law in such a way that rules made in the past can be applied reasonably in the present. This function gives the courts a role in policymaking. The Constitution establishes the Supreme Court of the United States and grants Congress …showed first 75 words of 837 total…

…showed last 75 words of 837 total…of the lawmaking majorities, so the legitimacy of the courts have been questioned. The courts were established as an independent branch and should not hesitate to promote new principles when they see a need, even if this action puts them into conflict with elected officials. Bibliography Patterson, Thomas E., The American Democracy, Thomas E. Patterson, United States of America, 1996. Young Student’s Learning Library, Volume 6, pgs. 712-714, 1995 Young Student’s Learning Library, Volume 20, pgs. 2535-2536, 1995