ESLvideo Quiz
Chapter 4 - The Judicial Branch
Chapter 4: One Nation, One People
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Chapter 4: The Judicial Branch
The judicial branch is the third part of the government. It has the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, and no other court can change its decisions.
Federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices, are not elected. The president nominates them, and the Senate approves them. The process for a person to become a federal judge is an example of the separation of powers of government because all three branches of government are involved.
The separation of powers is important because it stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
Reviewing Laws
One important job of the judicial branch is to review laws to see if they follow the Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, so every law must agree with it. If someone thinks a law breaks the Constitution, they can bring a case to a federal court.
If the Supreme Court decides to hear the case, its decision is final. There are no other courts in the United States that can change the decision of the Supreme Court. This is one reason that the Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.
Supreme Court Justices
There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. The word "justice" is another word for judge. After the Supreme Court reviews a case, the justices meet to discuss the case and vote on the decision.
One Justice on the Supreme Court is called the Chief Justice of the United States. The Chief Justice leads discussions, but each Justice votes independently. You can see who the Chief Justice is at supremecourt.gov.
The judicial branch is the third part of the government. It has the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, and no other court can change its decisions.
Federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices, are not elected. The president nominates them, and the Senate approves them. The process for a person to become a federal judge is an example of the separation of powers of government because all three branches of government are involved.
The separation of powers is important because it stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
Reviewing Laws
One important job of the judicial branch is to review laws to see if they follow the Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, so every law must agree with it. If someone thinks a law breaks the Constitution, they can bring a case to a federal court.
If the Supreme Court decides to hear the case, its decision is final. There are no other courts in the United States that can change the decision of the Supreme Court. This is one reason that the Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.
Supreme Court Justices
There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. The word "justice" is another word for judge. After the Supreme Court reviews a case, the justices meet to discuss the case and vote on the decision.
One Justice on the Supreme Court is called the Chief Justice of the United States. The Chief Justice leads discussions, but each Justice votes independently. You can see who the Chief Justice is at supremecourt.gov.
