JUDICIAL BRANCH

Interprets the laws Determines if they are

constitutional or not

Term

Life so they are free from political pressure

Qualifications

No specific, but usually a judge from a lower court

Supreme Court 9 Justices

John Roberts (2005 by GWB) Chief Justice (57)

Antonin Scalia (1986 by Reagan; Age 76)Anthony Kennedy (1988 by Reagan; Age 76)Clarence Thomas (1991 by Bush; Age 64)Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1993 by Clinton; Age

79)Stephen Breyer (1994 by Clinton; Age 74)Samuel Alito (2006 by G.W. Bush; Age 62)Sonia Sotomayor (2009 by Obama; Age 58)Elena Kaegan (2010 By Obama; Age 52)

Kagan

Chief Justice Roberts

Scalia Bader-Ginsberg

Alito

Sotomayor

BreyerKennedy

Thomas

JUDICIAL REVIEWReview laws Congress makes and determines if they are constitutional or not

Gave themselves this power in the case Marbury v. Madison

Those things not specifically written in the Constitution but have become a part of our government through tradition

• Cabinet (advises the President)• Judicial Review• Political Parties• Lobbyist (outside people hired to convince government officials to vote a certain way)