The dual court system refers to ___________ and ___________courts.

• A. trial; appellate
• B. criminal; civil
• C. federal; state
• D. legislative; constitutional

Answer: (C)

In the United States, the idea being tested is that there are two parallel court systems: federal courts and state courts. The Constitution gives the federal judiciary authority over cases involving federal law, the U.S. Constitution, treaties, and disputes in which the United States is a party, as well as certain cases between residents of different states (diversity cases). State courts handle matters governed by state law, including most criminal prosecutions, civil disputes, family law, and probate. Each system has its own trial and appellate levels, and some cases can fall under either system or move from one to the other through specific procedures, creating a shared space called concurrent jurisdiction in some instances. The other options don’t fit because they describe levels within one system (trial vs appellate), or types of cases (criminal vs civil), or different branches or areas of law (legislative vs constitutional), not two separate court systems.