Chapters 11-12

The Federal Courts & The 3 Branches

Mrs. Johnson
8th grade Civics
The Federal Courts

● The courts enforce the ● The federal courts deal

constitution by legal with cases involving
recourse or repealing federal laws, treaties
unconstitutional laws with foreign nations,
disputes between
states, and
interpretation of the
constitution
State Courts & The Supreme Court

● State courts deal with state laws and each state’s

constitution
● There are nine justices on the Supreme Court
● They include the Chief Justice and eight associates
● The other courts in the system are the District Courts
and the Courts of Appeal
Three Branches of Government

● System of Checks and Balances

○ The President’s veto power
○ The Senate’s power to approve presidential
appointments
○ The judiciary’s right of oversight of laws passed by
Congress
Purposes of the System

● To prevent blunders ● To prevent too much

power being
accumulated by one
branch
Slow to Change

● This system works!

● Our rights and liberties are being protected, so why
change it?