UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
CHAPTER 4
THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
In this chapter, you will learn about:
The Judicial Branch.
The Supreme Court.
The Judicial Branch is one branch or part of the government.
The parts of the Judicial Branch are the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. This means that the Supreme Court's decision about a law or legal case is final. The other federal courts are sometimes called lower federal courts.
When the Founders wrote the Constitution, they did not want the judges who serve on the Supreme Court and on other federal courts to make decisions about the law based on politics or elections. Judges who serve on the Supreme Court and other federal courts are sometimes called federal judges. The Founders wanted federal judges to make decisions based on the Constitution and the rule of law. This is why federal judges are not elected to office. The President nominates someone to become a federal judge on the Supreme Court or on a lower federal court. That person must also be approved by the U.S. Senate to become a federal judge.
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.
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