The Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court: Terms & Themes
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2.
3.
4.
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24.
Robert Bork
Antonin Scalia
Clarence Thomas
David Souter
40.
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43.
Class action suit
Law clerks
Briefs
Amicus curiae
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27.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Warren Court
Burger Court
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46.
Solicitor General
per curiam opinion
Opinion of the Court
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Judicial review
Strict constructionist
Judicial activist
Federalist No. 78, Brutus
essays
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
John Marshall
McCulloch v.
Maryland(1819)
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Dred Scott v. Sanford(1857)
Roger B. Taney
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47.
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49.
Concurring opinion
Dissenting opinion
Stare decisis
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Court packing plan
Constitutional court
District court
Courts of Appeals
Legislative courts
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Rehnquist Court
Dual Court System
Federal-question
cases
Civil law
Criminal law
Dual sovereignty
Writ of certiorari
In forma pauperis
Political question
Remedy
Court order
Appellate jurisdiction
Concurrent jurisdiction
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Senatorial courtesy
Blue Slips
Litmus test
Gang of 14
William Rehnquist
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39.
Fee shifting
Plaintiff
Defendant
Standing
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6.
7.
Exclusive jurisdiction
Original jurisdiction
Questions and Theme
Original jurisdiction: 1 part a state, 2 states, ambassador
Appellate jurisdiction
Plea bargain
Senatorial courtesy/Blue slip – political elements of judicial nominations
Debates over judicial ideology: judicial activism/loose construction/moral reading of the
Constitution/Living Constitution vs. Judicial restraint/originalism/textualism
Outline history of Supreme Court: John Marshall, Warren Court, changes today
Other courts with a path to the SC – when federal courts have jurisdiction
Rule of four, Writ of certiorari
Reasons for hearing a case – how the SC selects caseload
Role of the Solicitor General
How Congress can try to influence Court: budget, salaries, remove appellate jurisdiction,
control number of justices on Court, approval of nominations, revise statue, amendment
Litigant, plaintiff, defendant
Standing, Class action suits
Dual court system – what does that mean?
Criteria president uses in selecting nominations: party affiliation, acceptability to Senate,
Judicial experience, race and sex, litmus test
The politics surrounding judicial nominations
The role of an Amicus curiae brief
Opinions: majority, dissenting, concurring
How Courts set public policy: remedies (e.g. running schools or prisons, or ordering
increased funding for schools), Structural remedies
Reasons for a policy role for courts: level the playing field, protect against tyranny of the
majority
Reasons against a policy role for the courts: not elected, if swayed by political or social
considerations – not standard, just inserting their own opinions
How courts depend on the other two branches