Ap Gov Chp 16 Vocab

Front 1

standing to sue

Back 1

requirements that plaintiffs have a serious interest in a case, which depends on whether they have sustained or are likely to sustain injury from the defendant

Front 2

class action suits

Back 2

lawsuits permitting a small number of people to sue on behalf of all ppl similarly situated

Front 3

justiciable disputes

Back 3

requirement that to be heard a case must be capable of being settled as a matter of law

Front 4

amicus curiae briefs

Back 4

legal briefs submitted by a "friend of the court" for the purpose of raising additional points of view and attempt to influence a court's decision

Front 5

original jurisdiction

Back 5

jurisdiction of courts that hear a case first, usually in a trial. These are the courts that determine the facts about a case

Front 6

appellate jurisdiction

Back 6

jurisdiction of courts that hear cases from lower courts. They do not review the facts, only the legal issues involved.

Front 7

district courts

Back 7

91 federal courts of original jurisdiction. The only federal courts in which trials are held and in which juries may be enrolled

Front 8

courts of appeal

Back 8

appellate courts empowered to review all final decisions of district courts except in rare cases. They also hear appeals to orders of may federal regulatory agencies.

Front 9

Supreme Court

Back 9

top of judicial system. Ensures uniformity in interpreting national laws, resolves conflicts among states, and maintains national supremacy in law. Has both original and appellate jurisdiction, but unlike other federal courts, it controls its own agenda.

Front 10

senatorial courtesy

Back 10

unwritten tradition for state-level federal judicial posts where they are not confirmed if they are opposed by a senator of the pr's party from the nominee's state. The tradition also applies to courts of appeal when there is opposition from the nominee's state senator.

Front 11

solicitor general

Back 11

a presidential appointee and the 3rd ranking office in the Department of Justice. The solicitor general is in charge of the appellate court litigation of fed gov

Front 12

opinion

Back 12

a statement of legal reasoning behind a judicial decision. the content of an opinion may be as important as the decision itself

Front 13

stare decisis

Back 13

"let the decision stand" most cases reaching appellate courts are settled on this principle

Front 14

precedent

Back 14

how similar cases have been decided in the past

Front 15

judicial implementation

Back 15

how and whether court decisions are translated into actual policy, thereby affecting the behavior of others. the courts rely on other units of government to enforce their decisions

Front 16

original intent

Back 16

a view that the const should be interpreted according to the original intent of the Framers. supported by conservatives

Front 17

Marbury v Madison

Back 17

1803 case where John Marshall asserted the Supreme Court's right to judicial review and overode the Judiciary Act of 1789

Front 18

judicial review

Back 18

the power of the courts to declare an act of congress unconstitutional

Front 19

judicial restraint

Back 19

a judicial philosophy in which judges play minimal policymaking roles, leaving that duty strictly to the legislatures

Front 20

judicial activism

Back 20

a judicial philosophy in which judges make bold decisions, even charting new const ground

Front 21

political questions

Back 21

a doctrine developed by the fed courts and used as a means to avoid deciding some cases, principally those involving conflicts btwn the pr and congress

Front 22

statutory construction

Back 22

the judicial interpretation of an act of congress. Sometimes when it is vague, congress passes new legislation to clarify existing laws