American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

CONCLUSION| 385

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SUMMARY

All courts within the United States have a similar set of fun-
damental attributes, such as the distinction between civil
and criminal cases and the reliance on legal precedent. The
judicial system is divided between state and federal courts,
and within each level of government, there are courts of
original jurisdiction and appeals courts.

KEY TERMS

plaintiff (p. 361)

defendant (p. 361)

plea bargain (p. 362)

class-action lawsuit (p. 362)

common law (p. 362)

precedent (p. 362)

standing (p. 363)

jurisdiction (p. 364)

appeals courts (p. 364)

senatorial courtesy (p. 370)

CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION

What is the proper role for the Senate in providing “advice
and consent” on the selection of federal judges? Should the
Senate play the role of an equal partner to the president or
simply approve most of the president’s choices?

PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS

4. A system of relies on legal decisions that
   built from precedent established in previous cases.
   a) common law
   b) civil law
   c) statutory law
   d) stare decisis
   e) plea bargaining


5. When one has suff ered direct and personal harm
   from the action addressed in a case, it is called
   .
   a) precedent
   b) appellant
   c) plea bargaining
   d) jurisdiction
   e) standing


6. The president appoints federal judges with the “advice
   and consent” of the.
   a) House of Representatives
   b) Senate
   c) Supreme Court
   d) Attorney General
   e) vice president

S PRACTICE ONLINE

“Critical Thinking ” exercise: Political Process Matters—

Senatorial Approval and the Nomination Process

THE AMERICAN LEGAL AND JUDICIAL SYSTEM

E Outline the structure of the court system. Pages 361–72

SUMMARY

The Supreme Court hears only about 1 percent of the cases
that are brought to it. To help decide which cases to hear, the
Court generally uses four factors: collusion, standing, moot-
ness, ripeness. Ultimately, the justices have a great deal of
discretion in deciding to hear a case, but they can only hear
cases that come to them.

KEY TERMS

writ of certiorari (p. 373)

mootness (p. 374)

ripeness (p. 374)

cert pool (p. 375)

solicitor general (p. 375)

ACCESS TO THE SUPREME COURT

E Describe how cases reach the Supreme Court. Pages 372–75

STUDY GUIDE|^385