chapter 12 - the judiciary

• hiarical system of courts with appointed judges (SCOTUS, appeals court and district court judges.)
• there is a process through which cases originate (jurisdiction)
• district court - courts of appeal - supreme court
• judges can be seen as engaging in overreach by seeking to create or purposefully impact policy with rulings rather than strictly adhering to judicial review (judicial activism vs judicial restraint)
• remaining uniformly uninfluenced by public opinion
• life long appointments can insulate from political pressure, but such a mechanism can result in stagnation
• lack of diversity can limit progress and varied opinions that can benefit a changing and diverse society
• log jam of cases that can delay justice