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Question 51 of 128 American Government

What does the judicial branch do?

Answers USCIS accepts

  • Reviews laws
  • Explains laws
  • Resolves disputes (disagreements) about the law
  • Decides if a law goes against the (U.S.) Constitution

Give any one of these answers at your interview.

The judicial branch reviews and explains laws, resolves disputes about the law, and decides if a law goes against the Constitution.

What it means

Federal courts settle disagreements about what laws mean. The power to strike down a law that breaks the Constitution is called judicial review.

Any one answer is enough, such as “explains laws” or “reviews laws.”

West facade of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., with marble columns and the words Equal Justice Under Law
The U.S. Supreme Court building, the highest court in the United States. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress (public domain).

Memory tip: Courts: Review, Explain, Decide.

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What does the judicial branch do?

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Official source: USCIS M-1778 (09/25), 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version). Last checked: .