Civics Review

Law

Broadly defined as a system that orders human activity through systematic enforcement, the aggregate of legislation/judicial precedents, or specific statutory rules.

Health Law

Focuses on how legal rules adapt to medicine, specifically addressing patient vulnerability and relationships between patients, providers, insurers, and families.

Public Health Law

Studies state legal powers and duties to ensure healthy population conditions, alongside the legal limits on state authority to restrict individual autonomy, privacy, or liberty for the common good

The Core Tension

Public health law constantly balances individual rights & liberties against the health of the overall population

Police Powers

Inherent powers reserved to individual states under the 10th Amendment to pass laws and regulations protecting public health, safety, welfare, and morals

Federalism

The system of shared sovereignty and power distribution between individual state governments and the federal government

Preemption Doctrine

Mandates that higher legal authority displaces lower legal authority when they conflict. Under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, federal law preempts conflicting state law, and state law generally preempts local law.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to declare acts of Congress, executive actions, or state laws unconstitutional. Supreme Court rulings on constitutionality can only be altered by a later Supreme Court decision or a Constitutional Amendment

U.S. Constitution

The "Supreme Law of the Land," establishing federal powers, government structure, and checks and balances

Bill of Rights

The first 10 Amendments outlining specific individual freedoms and detailing limits on federal power

14th Amendment

Guarantees equal protection and due process of law against state actions, making it critical to public health law.

15th Amendment

prohibits voting discrimination based on race

19th Amendment

grants women the right to vote

Legislative Branch

congress ( Senate and House), Makes laws, Can override presidential vetoes, impeach officials, approve judicial appointments, and change non-constitutional laws

Executive Branch

President, Vice President, and Cabinet, carries out laws, Can veto legislation, propose laws, nominate judges, and grant pardons.

Judicial Branch

Supreme court and federal courts, evaluates laws, Exercises judicial review to declare executive actions or legislative acts unconstitutional.

Federal District Courts

The 94 federal trial courts where cases are initially tried, evidence is presented, and juries serve. Boundaries follow state lines or regional sub-divisions.

Circuit Courts of Appeals

12 regional appellate courts (plus a Federal Circuit) that review District Court rulings to ensure correct legal application

State Court system hierarchy

Cases generally move from local Circuit Courts (trial courts) up to Appellate Courts, and finally to the State Supreme Court