APGOV Unit 2: Judicial Branch

jurisdiction

extent of the power of the court (what kind of cases that kind of court can hear)

original jurisdiction

The court can hear a case for the first time

appellate jurisdiction

the court can only hear appeals from lower courts

judiciary act of 1789

established the courts under SCOTUS

SCOTUS, Courts of Appeals, District Courts

structure of federal courts

SCOTUS

The only court established by the Constitution in Article 3, has both original and appellate jurisdiction

in cases between two states or involving an ambassador or other public official

when does SCOTUS have original jurisdiction

12

number of courts of appeals

judicial review

The court has the power to rule on the constitutionality of laws

precedent

whenever a court rules on the case, it creates a __

stare decisis

let the decision stand

judicial activism

when justices look past the Constitution and instead rule on the majority opinion of society

judicial restraint

justices rules solely on the actual written word of the Constitution and precedents/stare decisis

passing laws modifying the impact of their decisions, passing amendments that change what the court ruled, passing legislation that impacts the court’s jurisdiction

3 ways legislative branch checks judicial

appointments, they don’t have to enforce the decision that was handed down

2 ways executive checks judicial branch