America has seen dramatic changes in the past 10 days. The president and Congress have not made major decisions that will affect everything, from abortion rights to environmental policy. The Supreme Court is currently the only one with the power to make a difference in people's lives.
Although the Democrats control both the White House as well as both Houses of Congress, they lack enough votes to pass many of their political agenda. In a series of crucial decisions, the Supreme Court is shaping America's future in a way that is very different from what Joe Biden intended.
Pro-choice activists are furious and depressed at Roe v Wade's reversal. However, anti-abortion activists, who have worked for almost 50 years to reach this point, are celebrating. The court's decision did not resolve the issue. It has opened the possibility of legal challenges in other states, which means that the fight over abortion will continue for many years.
Most attention has been paid to the abortion ruling. However, other Supreme Court decisions will have a global impact.
It was effectively impossible for the US of to adopt meaningful green policies after the Environmental Protection Agency's last decision before the end this current term. This ruling stated that the Environmental Protection Agency could not impose carbon emission limits unless Congress has specifically authorized it.
Joe Biden, the US President, came to office with a promise to combat climate change. However, he knows that he doesn't have enough votes for a bill to force power companies to stop using polluting coal to generate electricity.
This isn't the only instance of the Supreme Court arguing with the president.
President Biden signed a landmark gun-control bill last week. It was the first such law in over 30 years. In the wake of the massacre of 19 children at Uvalde elementary school in Texas, politicians from both sides agreed to a limited number of gun control laws.
Although the gun control bill did not go as far as people expected, it was an historic first and rare example of bipartisanship. However, this victory was dampened by the court's decision not to uphold a New York gun regulation that required people with permits to carry guns beyond their homes.
The Supreme Court issued the Supreme Court's decision the same day that the Senate passed the federal gun control bill. It effectively stripped the states of their power to place significant restrictions on gun ownership.
These controversial rulings have made it clear that the branch of government meant to be impartial and least partisan appears to be politically charged.
According to polling, the court seems out of tune with public opinion. A majority of Americans don't want abortion rights completely removed. Around 60% favor stricter gun control.
Public trust in the Supreme Court seems to be declining. Recent polling shows that public confidence in Supreme Court has dropped sharply with just 25% of respondents saying that they have "a lot" or "quite much" confidence in it.
Justice Sonya Sotomayor warned of this when she first heard arguments in the case regarding abortion:
"Will this institution withstand the stench this creates in public perception that the Constitution is just a political act?"
Ms. Sotomayor was among the three liberal justices that disagreed with the abortion ruling. She also warned about the implications for other rights, such as same sex marriage or access to contraception.
The conservative judges, three of which were appointed by President Donald Trump, will continue to outnumber these liberal justices. The court will also decide on other controversial issues such as voting rights and discrimination against homosexual people.
The court's decisions in the last 10 days, and the controversial cases that are to follow, have not stopped the fracture of a deeply divided society. Out of safety concerns, they had to build eight-foot security barriers around the courthouse.
You should remember that while the nation was studying the court's decisions regarding abortion, environmental protections, and gun rights, Americans were also paying attention to the 6 January hearings by the committee. They heard how the sitting president encouraged an angry crowd (which he knew was armed) to storm the US Capitol.
Americans have returned from a long weekend celebrating Independence Day. This national holiday commemorates the democratic freedoms that they gained almost 250 years ago when they fled the United Kingdom. Many may be wondering if the republic is functioning today as the founding fathers intended.
