Question

Article III of the Constitution gives Congress the power to create a system of federal courts, other than the Supreme Court, is known as what?

Answer 1

The constitutional provision that gives Congress the power to establish a system of federal courts other than the Supreme Court is known as the judiciary system. Congress used this authority to create the current federal court structure including the Circuit Courts of Appeals and District Courts, alongside specialized courts.

Step-by-step explanation:

Article III of the United States Constitution grants Congress the authority to establish a system of federal courts beneath the Supreme Court. This provision within the Constitution allows the legislative branch to create "inferior courts" as needed to support the judicial system. The current structure of the federal judiciary includes twelve Circuit Courts of Appeals and 94 federal District Courts, alongside specialized courts such as bankruptcy and immigration courts.

A significant aspect of Article III is that while it delineates the existence of "one supreme Court," it leaves the details to Congress, including the number of justices that sit on the Supreme Court. Historically, this number has fluctuated, but it has been set at nine since 1869. Congress also utilized its power to create the lower federal courts through the Federal Judiciary Act of 1789, shaping the judicial landscape that includes District Courts and Court of Appeals that we recognize today.

It's worth noting that under the earlier Articles of Confederation, there was no national judiciary, leading to issues in legal uniformity and interstate disputes. The creation of the constitutionally-based judicial system was a significant move to address these legal shortcomings and bolster federal authority in legal matters.

Judges of these federal courts are intended to serve for life, ensuring judicial independence, and are protected from salary reductions to prevent financial manipulation. This intricate design of the judicial branch safeguards the principle of equal justice under the law and maintains a check on the legislative and executive branches through the power of judicial review, as established in the landmark case of Marbury v. Madison.

Answer 2

This would be known as the "judicial branch" of government, and the courts that are created by Congress are designated as the "lower courts," since the Founders wanted this to be a more democratic process.