The Judicial System

The Judicial System is designed to help the reader cope with that complexity. As this volume hopefully makes clear to the reader, the basic constitutional documents of America's federal and state governments intentionally allowed for the evolution of the nation's judicial system. It discusses the history and background of the U.S. judicial system and the political factors that have shaped its character over the decades. It spans from the colonial period and the pre-constitutional period (Articles of Confederation), through the establishment and amending of the federal judiciary to modern times. It also provides details on state and local court systems in each of the fifty states. It discusses significant problems facing the judicial system as well as proposed reforms and solutions and contains original essays that provide perspectives on a wide range of issues confronting national and/or state judicial systems. Included are also brief profiles of key organizations and actors who are stakeholders in judicial politics. An annotated bibliography and chronology of key events shaping the American judicial system at all levels of government from 1641 to 2020. The book concludes with an extensive but accessible glossary of key terms used throughout the book and a detailed subject index--