Chapter 16: The Judiciary

The right of the federal courts to declare any acts of government unconstitutional

View that judges should decide cases based strictly on the language of the Constitution

View that judges should decide cases based on the underlying principles of the Constitution

Courts which exercise the judicial powers in Article III (serve during good behavior and their salary cannot be reduced while in office)

The lowest federal courts

Federal courts that hear appeals from district courts

Courts created by Congress for specialized purposes, whose judges don’t enjoy the protections of Article III.

A test of ideological purity when nominating a judge

Cases regarding the Constitution, federal laws, or treaties

Cases involving citizens of different states

An order form a higher court directing a lower court to send a case up for review

Method where a poor person can have their case heard in federal court without a charge

A rule that allows the plaintiff to recover costs from the defendant if the plaintiff wins

The party which initiates the lawsuit

A legal rule stating who is authorized to start a lawsuit

The rule that a citizen cannot sue the government without the consent of the government

A case brought to court to not only help themselves but all others who are similarly affected

Document that sets forth the faces of the case, summarizes lower court decisions, gives the arguments for the side represented, and discusses the other cases that the Court has decided on this issue

Brief from an interested party not directly involved in the suit

A brief, unsigned court opinion

Signed opinion of the majority

A signed opinion in which members agree with the majority view but for different reasons

A signed opinion of those who disagree

Allowing previous rulings to control the current case

An issue the Court will allow the executive and legislative branches to decide

A judicial order enforcing a right or redressing a wrong