The subject of the investigation is the problem of judicial evaluations and the influence of societal value perceptions on constitutional interpretation. The study examines the jurisprudence of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding central provisions of the U.S. Federal Constitution. By presenting and analyzing leading cases, the author provides a continental European-trained lawyer with an introduction to the methodology and mindset of the U.S. legal system. Subsequently, the author outlines U.S. legal and constitutional theory of this century. He questions whether courts are legitimized to make decisions based on moral, external normative evaluations (the legitimacy problem). At the same time, he discusses to what extent judicial expressions can be objectified using the tools of constitutional theory. Critique of important aspects is also addressed.