The judicial branch of the United States government is responsible for making sure laws in our country are constitutional. All the laws passed in the U.S. on the state level or on the federal level have to fall within the boundaries or rules of the United States Constitution. The main powers of the judicial branch include interpreting the U.S. Constitution and laws, making sure laws are put into action, and judicial review. Judicial review means that they have the power to review whether or not a law is constitutional and then they can accept it or disallow it. The most powerful part of the judicial branch is the head of it, called the Supreme Court, because it is in charge of reviewing all the laws and determining with finality whether or not the law is constitutional.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. It is made up of nine judges, specifically one Chief Justice and eight associate justices. The members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President and hold their position for life or until they choose to resign. One of the Supreme Court’s jobs is to decide if a lower court (i.e. local, state, or federal) decision follows the rules set by the Constitution. The Supreme Court has the final judgment and no other court can overrule it.
The United States government is designed so that all three branches of it have some power, and not any one branch has too much power. The legislative branch includes Congress, and they create and pass the laws. The President is the head of the executive branch and they make sure the laws are carried out. The judicial branch then checks and studies the laws to make sure they are supported by the words and meaning of the Constitution. If they don’t support those important words (of the Constitution), the Supreme Court can get rid of it, calling it unenforceable, and no longer a law. Clearly, all three branches are involved in the process of law-making, each having a voice in it. The executive and legislative branches watch over the judicial branch making sure it does not become overly powerful when dealing with the