What does the United States Constitution say about Supreme Court Justices? Who has the authority and power to change the number? Let’s look at these fascinating facts and events –

• Article III (3) of The United States Constitution says: “The judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish”
• The Constitution itself says that we have a Supreme Court, and that this Court is separate from both the legislature (Congress) and the executive (the President)
• A presidential commission on the Supreme Court of the United States is discussing the question of adding more justices
• One of the first things Congress did in 1789 was to set up a federal judiciary including the Supreme Court—with six Justices
• The Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• The U.S. Constitution is the “supreme Law of the Land”
• The Constitution does not stipulate the number of Supreme Court Justices; the number is set instead by Congress
• All Justices are nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and hold their offices under life tenure
• Justices may remain in office until they resign, pass away, or are impeached and convicted by Congress
• Your federal tax dollars pay the salary for the justices, the president, and congress
• The U.S. president nominates individuals to the supreme court
• There have been as few as six, but since 1869 there have been nine Justices, including one Chief Justice

Homeschoolers: sketch/color an illustration. Theme: government. Finish this sentence: The Supreme Court…. Read the story called The Emperor’s New Clothes in Learning to Read: Favorite Fairy Tales. Write your opinion about the government.