Supreme Court questions?

Question

1. When the Supreme Court of the United States makes a decision, how do they get people to obey it? In other words, who enforces it?

2. According to Article 3, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution, does the Supreme Court of the United States have original jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus?

Answer 1

The Supreme Court is the highest court in our judicial branch. The job of the judicial branch is to interpret the law. The Supreme Court has no enforcement power. The executive branch has the job of enforcing the laws.

Put "Original Jurisdiction of Supreme Court" in the Yahoo search box and you will get the rest of the information you are after.

Answer 2

As Alexander Hamiton famously wrote, "The Supreme Court ("SCOTUS") has neither the power of the purse, nor the sword.  It can not enforce any decision it hands down.  I suppose it could be said that SCOTUS decisions are obeyed out of a respect towards the rule of law and constitutional procedure.  As the previous poster stated,   SCOTUS relies solely on President to execute and enforce its decisions.  This has occasionally not happened.  My facts may be a bit off here, and someone correct me if I am wrong, but for example, in the 1830s the Supreme Court ruled that Andrew Jackson's plan to remove the Cherokee Indians from their lands was unconstitutional.  Jackson is said to have replied, "John Marshall (the Chief Justice) has made his decision, now let him enforce it" and went on to remove the Cherokees anyway.

Why do you want to know if SCOTUS can issue a writ of mandamus?  Does Madison have your commission?