Compared to the situation in different countries around the globe, the United States is characterized by a powerful role of law and the courts in its system. The law of the US Constitution is defined as a fundamental source and the only appropriate one to judge existing policies and laws and prescribe a national judiciary. As a rule, a Supreme Court and Congress (as a representative of inferior courts) have certain responsibilities to keep a balance between persons’ and property rights, and the role of federal courts remain unclear. In this week’s reading, students get an opportunity to improve their understanding of the federal court system. Courts’ structures and their role in addressing social issues prove the worth of judicial activism in national history compared to restraint that is frequently expected.
To comprehend the importance of federal courts in the United States, it is necessary to start with the basics and learn how these courts are chosen. There are three major layers in the federal court system. They include 94 district courts (primary trial courts with a single judge), 13 courts of appeals (review of decisions of the district courts), and the US Supreme Court (a final decision to the contest). In federal courts, the President and senators are responsible for the judges’ nomination and their possibility to maintain good behavior for life. Although the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President cannot reduce the already established and agreed salary, these governmental bodies may remove a person from the position of a judge. As well as any other American courts, federal courts exist to complete their tasks and control the way of how the government uses its mandated responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution. Confidence, respect for the citizens and their rights, and unbiased attitudes towards every person are the virtues of federal court representatives.