🔗 Share this article High Court Judge Questions Whether US Citizens Understand the Distinction Between Presidents and Kings The longest-serving progressive justice of the nation’s highest court has publicly wondered whether the public truly recognize the key distinctions between a president and a king. Warning Over Civics Education Shortcomings During a Tuesday’s conference on civics education held in New York, Justice Sonia Sotomayor voiced alarm that inadequate civic instruction may leave many people in the dark about the role of presidential power and its constitutional limits. “Do we grasp what the difference is between a monarch and a president?” Sotomayor asked. “In my view, if citizens knew these things from the start, they would be better equipped to participate in a democracy.” The jurist, 71, pointed to a widespread lack of understanding regarding core principles such as the rule of law and the system of restraints placed on the presidency by the US Constitution. Minority Opinions and Recent Rulings Sotomayor has often written dissenting opinions in several high-profile Supreme Court cases, including those that curtailed the authority of government bodies or removed officials traditionally shielded from political influence. She also wrote a notable opposing opinion when the court granted immunity from prosecution to a former president concerning actions to reverse a past election outcome. “With each exercise of governmental authority, the chief executive is now a sovereign above the law,” Sotomayor wrote in objection to that ruling. Public Instruction Today: A Sensitive Landscape New findings indicate that teaching government has become more challenging for educators, with many steering clear of controversial topics even as several states act to boost civics requirements in education systems. Since two years ago, nearly 24 states have passed measures requiring government classes for secondary diploma or providing additional resources to the discipline. First Amendment and Inflammatory Language Discussion On the same day, Sotomayor also commented on the ongoing national conversation surrounding free speech and political violence. This coincided with remarks from a top legal official who indicated that targeted language could be punished if it becomes into provocation to violence. Sotomayor responded critically to these ideas, stating: “Whenever I hear a legal representative suggesting we could criminalize free speech in some way, I think to myself that law school failed.” In the end, the justice emphasized that absent a grounding in how government works, the public may find it hard to maintain self-governing norms. “What remains?” she posed pointedly toward the end of her address.