Question

In its role as a reviewing court, the U.S. Supreme Court must hear all appeals from state supreme courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeal, whenever the case raises a federal question?

Answer 1

The U.S. Supreme Court has selective appellate jurisdiction that allows it to choose which federal questions or significant legal issues it reviews, and it does not automatically hear all appeals from lower courts.

Step-by-step explanation:

The U.S. Supreme Court does not automatically hear all appeals from state supreme courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeal; it is selective in the cases it chooses to review. While the Court has both original and appellate jurisdiction, it primarily exercises its appellate authority. Cases that come before the Court typically involve a federal question, which means they are related to federal law, the Constitution, or treaties.

As the nation's final court of appeal, the Supreme Court has significant discretion in deciding which cases to consider, reflecting its role as the ultimate judicial arbiter in the United States' dual court system.

This system, which also includes state and other federal courts, emphasizes the Court's authority to review and potentially overturn the decisions of lower courts when a substantial federal issue is at stake. However, due to its limited capacity, the Supreme Court hears less than one hundred of the tens of thousands of cases presented to it annually.