Final answer:
The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving Ambassadors, Public Ministers, Consuls, or when a state is a party. It is the first court to hear and decide on these cases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases dealing with or affecting Ambassadors, Public Ministers, Consuls, or in cases where a state is a party. Original jurisdiction means that the Supreme Court is the first court to hear and decide on these types of cases, and no lower court can do so.
For example, if there is a dispute between two states or a case involving a foreign ambassador, the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction and will hear the case directly. However, the number of original jurisdiction cases heard by the Supreme Court is very low, accounting for less than 1% of all their cases.
All other cases, including those involving the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, federal law, and some state laws, are heard by the Supreme Court on appeal, meaning they have appellate jurisdiction.