Why limit the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court?

A. People prefer to go to local courts because they don't have to travel so far.

B. The justices sitting on the court have a limited amount of time.

C. Congress made decisions that limited the jurisdiction.

D. The U.S. Constitution grants federal courts authority over only some matters.

And you think it's ... ?

I think it is C

No.

Read Article III of the US Constitution, and see what you think.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/overview

The correct answer is D. The U.S. Constitution grants federal courts authority over only some matters.

To understand why the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is limited, you need to refer to the U.S. Constitution. Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution outlines the jurisdiction of the federal courts, including the Supreme Court. The Constitution grants the federal courts authority only over certain types of cases, such as those involving federal law, legal disputes between different states, and cases involving foreign ambassadors or admiralty and maritime jurisdiction.

This limitation exists because the framers of the Constitution wanted to strike a balance between the power of the federal government and the rights and powers of the individual states. They believed it was important to establish a system where certain cases could be heard by federal courts while leaving other matters under the jurisdiction of state courts.

By carefully delineating the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, the Constitution helps maintain the structure of federalism, where the federal government and the states share powers and responsibilities. This division ensures that local matters can be addressed at the state level, while national issues can be decided by the federal courts, including the Supreme Court.

Therefore, the limitation on the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is not due to people's preferences, the availability of justices' time, or decisions made by Congress. It originates from the U.S. Constitution itself, which grants federal courts the authority to handle specific types of cases.