The courts
jurisdiction
A court's legal authority to hear a case: over the subject matter, the parties, and the territory.
In full
No court can decide a dispute it lacks jurisdiction over, and federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction: they hear only the categories the Constitution and statutes give them, chiefly federal-question and diversity cases. 'Original' jurisdiction is the power to hear a case first; 'appellate' jurisdiction is the power to review another court's decision.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.