Mastery Project 6
- Identify and explain the organization of the Judiciary. The Judiciary branch is composed US district courts, the US Court of Appeals, and the US Supreme Court. The district courts handle both civil and criminal cases. The US court of Appeals deals with the appeals within their circuits. The US Supreme Court then has appellant jurisdiction.
- Identify and provide examples of the powers of the Judiciary powers. The Judiciary branch has appellant jurisdiction, original jurisdiction, and they can interpret the law. An example of this was when the Supreme Court ruled that Hobby Lobby can chose which birth control pills they will allow for their employees to own through them.
- Identify and explain how Judiciary shares powers with the Congress, Executive, and bureaucracy. The justices are appointed by the president and approved by the senate. The Judicial branch interprets the laws that are placed by congress to which then the bureaucracy then enforces alongside the executive branch.
- Discuss the implications of Judiciary sharing powers with each of the following: Congress, Executive, and bureaucracy. The implications of this is that each branch has to work together to make the laws and not one branch has total control over the other.
- Discuss the functions that Judiciary performs. The judiciary branch has appellant jurisdiction meaning that they have the power to change a decision made by a lower court. They interpret the meaning of the law, apply them to cases that they receive, and they decide if something is constitutional or not. They can establish federal courts, and they can review any case that they want before any other court as long as it follows the rule of four.
- Identify how the power of the Judiciary has/may evolve gradually. The power of the judiciary branch has evolved since Marbury vs Madison when they established judicial review. This means that the judiciary branch can declare an executive order or a law unconstitutional. This allows for the meaning of laws to change over time and the executive branch and the bureaucracy then has to execute.
- Identify and discuss the ties between the Judiciary and political parties. Because the president appoints judges, they tend to be of the same political party as the president whom appointed them. This is because the president wants to appoint people that are close in beliefs as they are.
- Identify and discuss the ties between the Judiciary and interest groups. Oftentimes, interest groups will file an amicus curiae brief to get their case heard. They will also sue the government to try and change the interpretations of certain laws that they believe are not being followed correctly.
- Identify and discuss the ties between the Judiciary and media. The justices are appointed for life so that they will not be affected by elections and change their stance certain issues just to appeal to groups of people. When a case is being decided, the justices will hold a conference where no one but the justices are allowed in. Then when it has been decided, the courts will release their final say to the public.
- Identify and discuss the ties between the Judiciary and state and local governments. Most of the cases that are heard from the judiciary branch are appeals from the lower courts. This only occurs if at least 4 judges decided that the case needs to be reviewed again.