Module 10: Judiciary

The judiciary system of the United States is the federal system under a national government that is a dual court system. It consists of a three-tier national court system as outlined in the U.S. Constitution and fifty state court systems based on the Constitutions of each of the fifty states.  In this module, we examine the evolution, organization, structure, and processes of the courts at the national and state levels. As the ultimate appellate court and the least democratically elected branch of government, we especially focus on the U. S. Supreme Court in relation to both federal and state courts.   The power and decision-making of the U. S. Supreme Court in protecting citizens and shaping and impacting policy is also discussed in this module. 

Image Attribution: Public Domain from the Supreme Court of the United States website.

1. Discuss the importance of the evolution and organization of the courts to impacting and shaping the protection of citizen’s rights and freedoms. (CLO 1, 4)
   
2. Explain the different kinds of cases and the ways they are handled at the federal and state levels of government. (CLO 1, 2, 4)
   
3. Discuss the nature of judicial politics in defining the law and policy through judicial interpretations. (CLO 1, 3, 5)
   
4. Describe the selection process of the members to the U.S. Supreme Court and the nature of the Supreme Court’s decision-making process in rendering major court decisions. (CLO 1, 2, 5)
   

1. Read Chapter 13 in Introduction to American Government. Including:

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