AP GOV Chapter 15 - The Federal Courts

Standing to sue

Class action suits

Lawsuits in which a small number of people sue on behalf of all people in similar circumstances

Amicus Curiae Briefs

written statements from people or groups who are not part of a court case but want to share information or arguments to help the court make its decision.

Original Jurisdiction

is the power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court. It’s where a case starts.

Appellate Jurisdiction

is the power of a court to review a decision made by a lower court and decide whether it was correct.

District Courts

are the lowest level federal courts where trials start, evidence is presented, and judges or juries decide the facts of a case.

Courts of appeals

are federal courts that review decisions made by district courts to check if the law was applied correctly. They do not hold new trials— they only review what already happened.

Supreme courts

is the highest court in the United States. It has the final say on legal disputes and can decide if laws or government actions are constitutional.

Senatorial courtesy

is a tradition where the president asks the senators from a state for approval before appointing a federal judge or official from that state.

Soliator general

is the lawyer who represents the United States government in cases before the Supreme Court.

Opinion

is a written explanation by a judge or a court that explains the reasoning behind its decision in a case.

Stare Decisis

“Let the decision stand”

Precedent

is a previous court decision that serves as an example or rule for deciding similar cases in the future.

Originalism

is a way of interpreting the Constitution by trying to understand it as the people who wrote it originally intended. (Republican)

Judicial Implementation

is how courts’ decisions are put into practice and actually affect laws, government actions, and society.

Marbury v. Madison

was a Supreme Court case that established judicial review, which means the Court can decide whether laws or government actions are constitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland

was a Supreme Court case that confirmed federal government power is stronger than state power and upheld the constitutionality of the national bank.

Fed 78

is an essay by Alexander Hamilton that explains the importance of an independent judiciary and argues that courts should have judicial review to check laws against the Constitution.