Final answer:
The Supreme Court's original jurisdiction represents less than 1% of its total caseload, which is primarily made up of appellate cases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court's original jurisdiction accounts for less than 1% of its caseload. The United States Supreme Court hears a very small number of cases in its original jurisdiction, as most cases heard are on appeal from lower courts. Original jurisdiction in the Supreme Court includes cases in which a state is a party and cases involving ambassadors, public ministers, and consuls. Considering that most legal action takes place at the state level and the federal judiciary handles only a fraction of the total number of cases, those that come under the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction represent a significantly minor portion of its overall caseload.