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I. The Federal Judicial System A. The Supreme Court of the United States 1. Selecting and Deciding Cases 2. Issuing Decisions and Opinions B. Other Federal Courts 1. U.S. District Courts 2. U.S. Courts of Appeal 3. Special U.S. Courts C. The State Courts II. Federal Court Appointees A. The Selection of Supreme Court Justices and Federal Judges 1. Supreme Court Nominees 2. Lower-Court Nominees B. Justices and Judges as Political Officials 1. The Role of Partisanship 2. Other Characteristics of Judicial Appointees III. The Nature of Judicial Decision Making A. The Constraints of the Facts B. The Constraints of the Law 1. The Constitution and Its Interpretation 2. Statutes and Administrative Laws, and Their Interpretation 3. Legal Precedents (Previous Rulings) and Their Interpretation IV. Political Influences on Judicial Decisions A. Outside Influences on Court Decisions 1. Public Opinion and Interest Groups 2. Congress and the President B. Inside Influences: The Justices' Own Political Beliefs V. Judicial Power and Democratic Government A. The Limits of Judicial Power B. Debating the Judiciary's Proper Role |