Question

1.Name the two factors that give federal courts jurisdiction over a case. Give an example of each.

2.Why do presidents prefer federal judges who tend to agree with their views?


3. How is a case usually heard and decided when it reaches the supreme court.

Answer 1

Federal courts have jurisdiction over cases involving federal law and disputes between different states or residents of different states. Presidents prefer federal judges who share their views for ideological consistency, but appointed judges have lifetime tenure, making their decisions independent. The Supreme Court hears cases on appeal and decides them after reviewing documents, oral arguments, and discussions among justices.

Step-by-step explanation:

Jurisdiction of Federal Courts

The two main factors that give federal courts jurisdiction over a case are the type of laws involved and the parties in the case. Federal courts have jurisdiction to decide cases involving federal law, including disputes between states, and disputes between residents of different states. As an example, if a case involves the interpretation of a federal statute or the U.S. Constitution, federal courts would have jurisdiction. Another example is a case where citizens of different states are in a legal dispute over a contract, and the amount in question exceeds $75,000.

Presidential Preferences for Federal Judges

Presidents prefer federal judges who align with their views because they hope their appointees will make rulings consistent with their own ideological leanings. Judges and justices serve lifetime appointments, which allows them the freedom to make decisions without political pressure, but a president might appoint a judge with the expectation that they will support certain legal interpretations or policy perspectives. It's worth noting that judges, once appointed, may still make decisions that do not always reflect the expectations of the appointing president.

Supreme Court Case Procedure

When a case reaches the Supreme Court, it is usually heard after the case has gone through the lower federal courts (district and appellate courts) or state supreme courts if a federal question is involved. The Court reviews the documents from previous trials, listens to oral arguments, and reads briefs from various interested parties before the justices meet to discuss and vote on the case. The decision process is influenced by internal and external players, like law clerks and the solicitor general, set precedent, and is ultimately based on interpretations of the Constitution and law.

Answer 2

1. Federal courts have jurisdiction over cases in which the accusation pertains to a violation of federal law, and also in cases where parties involved in a lawsuit are from different states within the US or if one of the parties is a foreign entity.

• An example of the first type would be if police officers or a police department were accused of violating the civil rights of an individual or group. This would be tried in a federal court.
• An example of the second type would be if a business owner in one state was sued by someone from another state for breach of contract or for fraudulent business practice.

2. Presidents (in general) will tend to appoint judges who align with their own views on political justice because they don't want their own attempts at leadership blocked by the courts, and also they hope to be able to leave a lasting legacy on nation overall through what they would consider favorable court decisions. Ideally, however, presidents will choose appointees for federal courts and the Supreme Court based on the overall strength of their qualifications, not merely based on political leanings they may seem to have.

3. Once a case reaches the Supreme Court, the The Supreme Court itself decides which cases it will hear.

The Supreme Court is asked to review more than 7,000 cases each year, so it would not be possible for the court to hear and make a decision on every case that is sent to it. The Supreme Court agrees to hear about 100 to 150 cases per year. The vast majority of those cases work their way up to the Supreme Court from lower courts. About two-thirds of the cases come from lower federal court decisions that are appealed for review, and about one-third of the cases are reviewing decisions made by supreme courts of individual states.

There are some cases that can have original jurisdiction at the Supreme Court level -- such as when there is a case between one state government and another or between state governments and the federal government. These are more rare within the overall agenda of the Court.