Government Quiz 2

Federalist system

• multiple layers of courts/judicial branch 

  • Federalist judicial system 

  • Oversees federal law and disputes between states/states & federal gov’t 

  • Each state has their own legal/judicial system as well - no detail

2 goals of the Supreme Court 

1. Protect sanctity of US Constitution form other branches 

2. Protect individual rights against societal/government oppression 

   1. Federal government 

   2. State Government 

   3. Private actors

Supreme Court

• 9 Judges 

• Appointed by the President, confirmed by Senate 

• Serve lifetime appointment 

  • Why a lifetime - to keep judges outside of politics 

    • Apolitical - No political impact on their job 

• Select what cases they will hear (about 100 cases a year)

Article 3 of Constitution 

•  has the shortest and the least detail of the three branches 

• Establishes 1 court 

• Original jurisdiction - case heard for the first time 

• Appellate jurisdiction - hears a case on appeal from lower court to judge original ruling 

• Congress has the power to expand the bench

Envisioned as "Judgement"

• Alexander Hamilton wrote in federalist No. 78 

  • The key tooth supreme court is going to be interpretation and are the weakest branch 

• Highlight the facts that courts can make decision but can’t enforce them 

• Provides a check on the other two branches therefore equal

The first session of the US Congress laid the framework for today’s federal judicial system

Established in the Judiciary Act of 1789

Basic Structure unchanged

District Courts -> Appeal Courts/Circuit Courts -> U.S Supreme Court

State Courts Structure 

Trial courts -> Appeals courts -> State Supreme Court - > Us Supreme Court

Chief Justice (and former President ) William Taft designated a building for the court

• Previously relegated to the outskirts of Congressional buildings 

• Completed in 1935 

• Goal - a building with the same scale as the other branch's buildings

John Marshall

• Fourth Chief Justice, served 34 years

• Credited with defining the modern court, clarifying its power and strengthening its role

In 1803, the Supreme Court declared for itself the power of judicial review

Marbury v. Madison- for the first time they announced an act of congress to be unconstitutional. They established this with judicial review. The supreme court can look at and evaluate the actions of the other two branches and they can declare it void 

Although the supreme court tends to draw the most public attention, it typically hears fewer than 100 cases every year

True

The federal state even though it hears more than the supreme court the state courts hear the majority of cases

True

How many Supreme Court justice

9

How many judges do the circuit court contain

3

How many judges do federal district courts have

1

Federal Judges

• At the Federal level the president nominates a candidate to a judgeship of justice position 

• The senate has the right to advice and consent he president in his picking 

• All federal judges serve lifetime terms of office 

• ABA helps nominate from a list of candidates 

• Nominee is then taken to the Senate Judiciary Committee. From there the candidate must be confirmed by a majority vote of the full senate 

• Oath in office to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the U.S 

• When there is a vacancy the President consults with the states US  senators before making a nomination 

  • Called senatorial courtesy

Stare Decisis

• The US court system operates on the principle of

  • Today’s decisions are based largely on ruling from the past 

  • Common law system 

Cultural

the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution, organization, society

4 key values

• Liberty 

• Popular consent / Popular sovereignty 

• Individualism 

• Religious Faith and Freedom

Liberty

strong support for basic freedoms and liberties

Equality

All people should be treated equal under the law and equal opportunities

Individualism

• Preference for rewarding hard work and limiting role of government 

Rule of Law

Strong belief in legitimacy of US Constitution  Majority opinion should prevail

Political Spectrum

• Middle - Moderate 

• Left - Liberal - Revolutionary 

• Conservative - Right - Reactionary

Political Orientations

• Value and Beliefs - systemic way of assessing the political environment

• Broad  Consensus about many values and beliefs, but their translation into an organized way of thinking about politics and issues is considerably more varied 

• Political Ideology - Philosophical guide about the purpose and scope of government 

• Partisanship - Psychological attachment to a party

Partisanship

•  Psychological attachment to a party 

  • Provide and orientational mechanism for understanding how to apply one’s value

Conservatives favor

• Smaller federal government 

• Limited social welfare programs

• Reduced government regulations 

• Government activism to enforce more traditional values on social issues

Liberals Generally

• More active Federal Government 

• More actives federal government and advocated for individual freedom

• Most Americans see themselves as moderate 

• Political orientations tend to be quite subtle but longlasting

True 

Political Socialization

• Process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values 

• Lifelong process begins in early childhood and continues thought life

Agents of socialization

Factors that have a significant impact on an individual's socialization to politics

Socialization is important both in

• he development of political learning for individuals  

• Generational transmission of fundamental beliefs and values of American political culture

Family

• Perhaps the most powerful socializing agent 

• Parents teach children about the political world 

• Children learn parents’ political values even if concepts are vague to them 

• Usually develop political ordinations with those of their parents 

• Long Lasting Effects

Peers

• After 5 then peer group becomes important 

• Children acquire new political learning from friends and the social groups they form

  • Often reinforce what they learn from parents 

• By 5th -6th grader - questions 

• No longer accept socialization cues

School

• Students are taught respect for the country and its symbols

• Often reinforce beliefs regarding citizen roles in democracy 

• High school - huge impact of socialization

Race/ethnicity 

• Group memberships provide experiences and perspective that shape political views 

• Experience with persecution and discrimination through history 

• Different occupational opportunities

• Often kive in separate communities and go to different schools 

• Shared linked fate

Age

View of proper role of government depends on era in which one was born   

Religion

• Responsible for instilling many American ideals rooted in Nation’s Prostenstant heritage 

• Attitudes shaped by how strictly the individual practices and follows religious doctrin

Gender

Historically perceived as less important than other factors

Political Preferences

• Attitudes or opinions regarding the performance of political leaders and institutions candidate preferences election sand specific policy issues 

• Preferences highly influenced by political ideology