Civics: Chapter 8 – The Judicial Branch
Section 1: The Federal Court System
(Pages 192 – 195)
1. What is the goal of the U.S. court system?
2. Complete the following chart:
Cases Heard in Federal Courts
Examples
3. Relation of Federal Courts to State Courts:
A.
B.
1)
2)
4. Article __________ of the Constitution lists the jurisdiction of federal courts.
5. How did the federal court system originate?
6. The three levels of federal courts are
and
.
,
_________________,
7. What is the relationship between the federal district court system and the state court system?
8. Define what is meant by the words that are inscribed on the United States Supreme court building: “Equal
Justice Under Law.”
9. Why do you think Congress established federal appeals courts in 1891?
10. According to the map on page 193, Louisiana, ____________________, and ____________________ make up the
__________ judicial circuit
Section 2: How Federal Courts Are Organized
(Pages 196 – 199)
11. There are _______________ U.S. district courts in which most ____________________ cases are handled.
12. All federal cases need to begin in a ____________________ court.
13. The only federal courts in which witnesses testify and juries hear cases are
14. What is the purpose of federal district courts?
15. What does it mean if the judge remands a case?
16. What court has the power to remand?
17. Place the following steps for appointing a judge in the correct order:
The president submits the name of a judicial candidate to the entire Senate for approval
The president submits the name of a judicial candidate to the senators from the candidate’s state
The president chooses a judicial candidate based on party politics
18. What is senatorial courtesy?
19. _______________ jurisdiction allows a court to hear appeals from a lower court.
20. _______________ court reviews decisions made in lower courts.
21. What takes place in federal district courts that does not happen in federal appeals courts or in the Supreme
Court?
22. Explain the three rulings that are possible in a U.S. court of appeals case.
23. How do the three levels of federal courts differ?
24. On the Venn diagram below, compare U.S. district courts to U.S. courts of appeals:
District Courts
Appeals Courts
Section 3: The United States Supreme Court
(Pages 200 – 204)
25. Who makes up the Supreme Court?
26. Complete the chart with information about Marbury v. Madison:
1.
The three principles of judicial review set forth by
2.
Marbury v. Madison include:
3.
What was one result of Marbury v. Madison?
Who has the right to final interpretation of the
Constitution?
1.
1.
27. What important power did Marbury v. Madison establish?
28. The Supreme Court refuses to hear many more cases than it accepts. What happens in a case when the
Supreme Court refuses to hear it?
29. Explain how a person becomes a Supreme Court Justice.
30. The first female Supreme Court Justice was _________________________.
31. The first African –American Supreme Court Justice was _________________________.
32. Do you think the Supreme Court should have a police force with the power to enforce its decisions? Explain
your answer.
33. Study the political cartoon on page 201 and answer the following questions:
a) Why do you think the cartoonist picked these figures to depict in the cartoon?
b) What does the seesaw represent?
c) Explain the action the Supreme Court is taking in the cartoon. What does this mean?
Section 4: Deciding Cases at the Supreme Court
(Pages 2016 – 210)
34. The guiding principle for all judges is
.
35. Supreme Court Justices write opinions and study new cases during
36. The Supreme Court is both a
court and an
court.
37. The Justices accept cases that four of the
Justices agree to accept.
38. The Justices most often accept cases that concern important
39. Once the Supreme Court accepts a case, it is placed on
issues.
.
40. List and describe the steps in the Supreme Court’s decision-making process:
41. Why must the Supreme Court print its opinions?
42. Why are precedents important in Supreme Court decision making?
43. Of all the factors that influence Justices when they make a decision, which do you think is the most
significant? Explain your answer.
44. Use the bar graph to answer the questions that follow.
a) What information does this graph show?
b) What do the numbers on the vertical axis indicate?
c) What time period does the graph cover?
d) In which year did the Supreme Court issue the fewest opinions?
e) What change has occurred in the caseload of the Supreme Court?
f) In general, how does the number of cases appealed to the Supreme
Court compare with the number it hears and decides?