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American government
This category is for all terms related to American government and politics.
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American government
order
Government; American government
An order is an instruction or direction issued by the Court. Unlike an opinion, which analyzes the law, an order tells parties or lower courts what they are to do. For example, the Court can order ...
docket
Government; American government
The calendar of cases that the Court is scheduled to hear is known as the docket. A case is “docketed” when it is added to the docket, and it is given a “docket number” at that time. The Court’s ...
remand
Government; American government
The term “remand” means “to send back,” and refers to just that – a decision by the Supreme Court to send a case back to the lower court for further action. When it remands a case, the Court ...
merits brief
Government; American government
Once the Supreme Court has granted certiorari in a case, each party has the opportunity to file merits briefs. Unlike the certiorari-stage briefs, which tell the Court why it should or should not ...
vacate
Government; American government
When the Supreme Court vacates a lower court ruling, it strips that ruling of effect, often in order to send the case back to the lower court for further proceedings.
concurring opinion
Government; American government
Sometimes a judge votes with the majority of the court on the outcome of a case, but wants to write a separate concurring opinion (or “concurrence”). For example, a “concurrence in the judgment” may ...
per curiam opinion
Government; American government
An unsigned opinion, written for the Court as a whole by an unidentified Justices, is called a per curiam opinion. (In Latin, “per curiam” literally means “by the court. ”) Written dissents from per ...
