On Monday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Carl Grant Event Center, Daniel Bennett, department chair for political science at John Brown University, delivered the annual Constitution Day Lecture.
Bennett’s Lecture, titled “After Dobbs: Judicial Legitimacy and the Future of the Supreme Court,” discussed the history of judicial review, criticisms aimed at the Supreme Court’s decision and how it may affect previous precedents. Bennett presented possible scenarios facing the court as its legitimacy is called into question.
“While a decision like Dobbs occasionally brings the Court to the forefront of America’s consciousness, this intense focus is usually fleeting, replaced by the latest conflict between Congress and the President, actors over which the public actually has tangible control,” Bennett said. “Paradoxically, the unelected Supreme Court may have the strongest legitimacy of any branch of government, so long as the public continues to view it as above the day-to-day wrestling matches of American politics.”
For the past ten years, Union University has hosted Constitution Day Lectures in accordance with federal Constitution Day. Educational institutions that receive federal funding have been required to hold educational programming for students on Sept. 17 or subsequent days.
Sean Evans, chair of the department of political science at Union, hopes that the Constitution Day Lectures will encourage interest in learning about the constitution, although interest in politics rotates with the election cycle.
“Interest goes with presidential elections more than anything else,” Evans said. “That is where a lot of people get their interest in politics. The Supreme Court doesn’t always grab our attention that much, and so it’s hard for people to say, ‘I really need to be concerned about the Constitution.’”
Constitution Day Lectures will continue to be open and free to students— regardless of major—faculty and the surrounding community.
