Courts

So far, we've explored legislatures (where laws are made) and executive branches (where laws are enforced). In this section, you'll read about judiciaries, which is the branch of government responsible for interpreting laws. Pay close attention to the description of the term "judicial activism" and "judicial review". While this section focuses primarily on the U.S. judicial system, consider the judicial systems of other countries while you read. How do you think judiciaries in non-democracies compare to the U.S. judicial system? Judiciaries, like legislatures, can either act to protect democracy or promote oppression.