Which of the following are mandated by the U.S. Constitution?

• A. The Supreme Court only
• B. The Supreme Court and appellate courts
• C. The Supreme Court and appellate and district courts
• D. Both constitutional and legislative courts

Answer: (A)

The Constitution explicitly establishes the Supreme Court and gives Congress the power to create lower federal courts. This means the only institution truly mandated by the Constitution is the Supreme Court. Appellate and district courts aren’t required by the Constitution themselves; they exist because Congress has chosen to establish them under its Article III powers. There’s also a distinction between constitutional courts (created under Article III) and legislative courts (created under Article I), but the Constitution does not mandate a complete system that includes both—they’re simply different types of courts authorized or created by Congress. So, the only mandated entity is the Supreme Court itself.