Supreme Court
Definition
The Supreme Court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in many legal jurisdictions. In terms of U.S history, it refers specifically to the Supreme Court of United States which has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all federal and state court cases involving issues of federal law plus original jurisdiction over a small range of cases.
Analogy
Think about playing a video game with multiple levels. Each level gets progressively harder until you reach the final boss level - that's like our Supreme Court! It's at top tier where major decisions are made that can affect gameplay (or in real life terms, our lives) nationwide.
Related terms
Judicial Review: The principle that allows the Supreme Court to declare laws and executive actions unconstitutional.
Marbury v. Madison: A landmark Supreme Court case in 1803 that established the principle of judicial review in the United States.
Chief Justice: The presiding judge in a supreme court.
"Supreme Court" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Practice Questions (11)
What was the name of the Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of loyalty programs for government employees during the Second Red Scare?
What was the response of President Andrew Jackson to the Supreme Court's ruling in Worcester v. Georgia?
What decision did the Supreme Court make in Plessy v. Ferguson that significantly affected racial segregation laws?
What principle was established by the Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison during Thomas Jefferson's presidency?
What could have been a likely result if Andrew Jackson had chosen to strictly enforce the Supreme Court's decision defending Cherokee rights in Worcester v. Georgia?
Which court case did the Supreme Court rule that Congress had no power to ban slavery in U.S. territories, further dehumanizing African Americans?
Who was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during the Dred Scott Decision?
What did the Supreme Court rule in Dred Scott v Sanford case?
What could have been a consequence if the Supreme Court had declared all New Deal programs unconstitutional?
Who argued successfully before Supreme Court that school segregation was unconstitutional in Brown v Board of Education case?
Who was appointed as an associate justice of the Supreme Court in October, leading desegregation cases such as Brown v Board of Education?
Resources
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