Section 12                      

The Judiciary

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Readings: Chapter 16.

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The federal court system appears very simple on the surface. Three hierarchical levels with the Supreme Court being the final arbiter. Decisions are made according to precedent and legal principles, with just a little ideology thrown in to the mixture. The operations of the courts are actually quite subtle. I find decision-making in the courts more interesting than in other branches of the federal government because so little is known about what happens behind closed doors. Zen.

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Your Name

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12.1 State courts handles approximately how many times more cases than federal courts?    

12.2 Which type of jurisdiction ( [O]riginal, [A]ppellate or [B]oth) is held by the three major levels of federal courts?      

District Courts

Courts of Appeal

Supreme Court

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12.3 What are the criteria presidents usually take into consideration when choosing Supreme Court nominees?      

12.4 What are Amicus Curie briefs and which political players are most likely to submit them?    

12.5 Under what circumstances is the Supreme Court most likely to accept a case for review?      

12.6 What is the "political question doctrine" and how does it inject politics into the decision to accept or reject a case for review by the Supreme Court?      

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Take particular note of the scene described in the highlighted section "Oral Arguments and Persuasion." The Supreme Court proceedings can be subtly raucous if you understand its nuances.

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12.7   How is the Supreme Court reliant on the cooperation of Congress and the President?

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Questions or Comments? send e-mail to Dr. Werner at drblw@aol.com