Good afternoon, I'm _________ reporting for WSU news.

Public debate over current legislation continues, but the role of the Supreme Court is clearly defined. The Constitution is �carefully balanced� to maintain a strong national government while protecting the rights and freedoms of individual citizens. According to the Supreme Court, they have the authority to �invalidate legislation or executive actions which [�] conflict with the Constitution. This power of �judicial review� has given the Court a crucial responsibility in assuring individual rights, as well as maintaining a �living Constitution� whose broad provisions are continually applied to new situations.�

The nine members of the Supreme Court are: Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Samuel Alito, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kegan, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Sonia Sotomayor, and Clarence Thomas.

Thanks for tuning in.

Join us later for the WSU Evening Report.

References:

Supreme Court of the United States. 2006. �The Court and Constitutional Interpretation.� http://www.supremecourtus.gov/about/about.html Published by Supreme Court Historical Society. Updated 2011.