The Logic of American Politics
Video and Multimedia
Video
U.S. Constitution: Definition and the Judicial Review of Marbury v. Madison
Learning Objective: 9.1 Explain how the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review was established.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Judicial Elections
Learning Objective: 9.1 Explain how the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review was established; 9.2 Identify characteristics of the three eras of judicial review exercised by the Court.
Questions to Consider:
- How much power did the Congress have in designing the federal judiciary?
- Where in Article III is the Court’s judicial review power outlined?
Learning Objective: 9.3 Describe the structure of the federal judiciary.
Learning Objective: 9.3 Describe the structure of the federal judiciary.
Why are Supreme Court justices appointed for life?
Questions to Consider:
- Why did the Framers design the federal judiciary providing life time appointments for federal justices and judges?
- How might judicial decision making be different if federal judges were elected?
- What do you think? Do you think the Supreme Court’s decision in the Affordable Care Act discussed in Chapter 8 might have come out differently if the Supreme Court justices were elected? Why or why not?
Learning Objective: 9.3 Describe the structure of the federal judiciary.
Judicial Activism versus Judicial Restraint
Questions to Consider:
- What do you think? Do you think that our personal opinion and preferences regarding a Supreme Court case sways whether we see the decision as an act of judicial activism or not?
Learning Objective 9.5 Discuss the Supreme Court’s place in the separation of powers and the role of principal-agent theory.
Learning Objective: 9.6 Assess to what extent the Supreme Court’s judicial review is checked by other branches of the government.
Justice Clarence Thomas on Judicial Review
Learning Objective: 9.6 Assess to what extent the Supreme Court’s judicial review is checked by other branches of the government.
Web Resources
Learning Objective: 9.1 Explain how the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review was established.
Learning Objective: 9.4 Relate the judicial decision-making process.
Racial and Gender Diversity of Obama Judicial Appointees
Questions to Consider:
- Why might it be desirable for presidents to nominate women and racial or ethnic minorities to the federal judiciary?
Learning Objective: 9.4 Relate the judicial decision-making process.
Supreme Court of the United States
Learning Objective: 9.5 Discuss the Supreme Court’s place in the separation of powers and the role of principal-agent theory.