Final answer:
The Supreme Court significantly influences Americans' lives by affecting society, politics, and legal interpretations through its rulings, like the Hobby Lobby case impacting employee healthcare rights. The Court, envisioned by the founders to maintain a balance of power, reviews government actions, protects liberties, and establishes legal precedents that lower courts follow.
Step-by-step explanation:
The impact of the Supreme Court on the daily lives of Americans is significant, as its rulings can affect various areas of society, including political systems, cultural changes, personal freedoms, and legal interpretations. Using a case like the refusal of Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. to provide specific insurance coverage as mandated by the Affordable Care Act due to religious beliefs, we can see how a Supreme Court decision can influence company policies and employees' rights. In this instance, the Court's decision would affect the healthcare benefits and rights of employees across the country, thus impacting their daily lives.
The founders included the Supreme Court in the United States' vision to ensure a balance of power and a system of checks and balances. The Court serves as the guardian of the Constitution, with the power to review laws and acts of the government to maintain the rule of law and protect individual liberties. A principal function of the Supreme Court is also to create binding precedents through its decisions, which lower courts must follow, thereby influencing future cases and providing a degree of legal stability and predictability.