Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

  • Describe the structure and powers of the federal judiciary as laid out in the Constitution.
  • Explain John Marshall’s development of judicial review in the Supreme Court decision in Marbury v. Madison.
  • Describe the structure of the American legal system and the federal judiciary.
  • Compare theories of judicial decision making as well as arguments for or against judicial restraint and activism in constitutional review.