political question doctrine

E262097

The political question doctrine is a principle in U.S. constitutional law under which courts decline to decide certain issues deemed more appropriately resolved by the political branches rather than the judiciary.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
political question doctrine canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf justiciability doctrine
legal doctrine
principle of United States constitutional law
appliesInJurisdiction United States of America
surface form: United States
appliesToBranch United States Congress
surface form: Congress

President of the United States
federal judiciary
articulatedBy Supreme Court of the United States
associatedWithJustice William J. Brennan Jr.
BakerFactor impossibility of a court’s undertaking independent resolution without expressing lack of respect due coordinate branches of government
impossibility of deciding without an initial policy determination of a kind clearly for nonjudicial discretion
lack of judicially discoverable and manageable standards for resolving the issue
potentiality of embarrassment from multifarious pronouncements by various departments on one question
textually demonstrable constitutional commitment of the issue to a coordinate political department
unusual need for unquestioning adherence to a political decision already made
concerns allocation of power among branches of government
justiciability
limits of judicial review
constitutionalBasis implicit in Article III case or controversy requirement
implicit in separation of powers structure of the Constitution
coreIdea federal courts may decline to adjudicate certain constitutional issues
some questions are committed to the political branches and are not appropriate for judicial resolution
criticizedFor allowing courts to avoid deciding difficult constitutional questions
potentially undermining protection of individual rights
defendedAs necessary to preserve separation of powers
respectful of democratic decision-making by elected branches
developedInCase Luther v. Borden
Marbury v. Madison
effect federal courts dismiss cases as nonjusticiable
shields certain decisions of political branches from judicial review
field constitutional law
federal courts law
separation of powers
keyTestFormulatedIn Baker v. Carr
leadingCase Baker v. Carr
Goldwater v. Carter
Nixon v. United States
Powell v. McCormack
Zivotofsky v. Clinton
Zivotofsky v. Clinton
surface form: Zivotofsky v. Kerry
oftenInvokedIn Guarantee Clause cases
foreign affairs cases
impeachment disputes
treaty termination disputes
war powers disputes
relatedConcept act of state doctrine
mootness doctrine
ripeness doctrine
separation of powers doctrine
standing doctrine

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Guarantee Clause associatedDoctrine political question doctrine