What is the purpose of the 3rd article of the Constitution?

Asked by: Gloria Kovacek  |  Last update: February 7, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (45 votes)

Article III of the U.S. Constitution establishes the Judicial Branch, creating the Supreme Court and empowering Congress to establish lower federal courts, defining their jurisdiction over cases involving federal law, the Constitution, and disputes between states, while also granting federal judges lifetime appointments for good behavior to ensure independence and defining treason.

What is the main purpose of article III of the constitution?

Article III of the Constitution establishes the federal judiciary. Article III, Section I states that "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish."

What is the purpose of article 3 of the Constitution quizlet?

Article III of the Constitution gives Congress the power to create a system of federal courts, other than the Supreme Court, known as? The U.S. Constitution's Article III gives Congress the authority to establish subordinate federal courts, such as the District and Court of Appeals, that report to the Supreme Court.

What is Article 3 of the Constitution for dummies?

Article III – The Judicial Branch.

The article states that the court of last resort is the U.S. Supreme Court and that the U.S. Congress has the power to determine the size and scope of those courts below it. All judges are appointed for life unless they resign or are charged with bad behavior.

Why is article 3 important?

Strauss. Section One of Article III is a cornerstone of our legal system. It establishes the Supreme Court, and it is the basis of the federal court system. It has served those purposes from the very beginning.

Article III of the Constitution | US Government and Politics | Khan Academy

40 related questions found

Why was article 3 created?

Article III separates and places the judicial power in the judiciary. This idea is most often attributed to Montesquieu. Although not the progenitor, Montesquieu's writing on the separation of power in The Spirit of Laws was immensely influential on the U.S. Constitution.

How to explain the 3rd amendment to a child?

This amendment means that no solider can be quartered, or be placed to live in, people's homes without their permission. For example, if soldiers came to your home, they could only live there if you gave them permission.

What power does Article 3 of the Constitution give Congress?

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

What are the Article 3 rights?

Article 3 - the right not to be tortured or treated in an inhuman or degrading way is one of the rights protected by the Human Rights Act. Read this page to find out more about what this right means under the Human Rights Act.

What is the Article 3 standing?

In general, for a party to establish Article III standing, he must allege (and ultimately prove) that he has a genuine stake in the outcome of the case because he has personally suffered (or will imminently suffer): (1) a concrete and particularized injury; (2) that is traceable to the allegedly unlawful actions of the ...

What are the limitations of Article 3?

III, Section 2, Clause 1) as embodying two distinct limitations on exercise of judicial review: a bar on the issuance of advisory opinions, and a requirement that parties must have standing. In this context, "controversy" means an actual dispute between the parties.

What is the 3rd Amendment in simple words?

The Third Amendment simply says the government can't force you to house soldiers in your home without your permission, especially in peacetime; it prevents forced military occupation of private homes, a practice disliked by colonists under British rule, and protects your home's privacy from military intrusion, though it's rarely used in court today. 

What is a real life example of the 3rd Amendment?

Real-life examples of the Third Amendment are rare but center on the principle of privacy from soldiers in homes, with key cases involving National Guard housing in dorms during strikes (Engblom v. Carey) and modern interpretations extending to broader privacy rights, like government cyber intrusions being compared to unwanted soldier presence, though courts haven't fully embraced that extension. The amendment prevents forcing civilians to house soldiers in peacetime without consent, a direct response to British colonial practices, but its spirit protects home privacy against government intrusion generally. 

Why is the 3rd Amendment important today?

Yet, legal scholars contend the Third Amendment does have relevance in the present. It exemplifies the right to personal privacy, to the sanctity of the American home. It is the only place in the Constitution discussing the relationship between civilians and the military.

What is article 3 in simple terms?

The Judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.

Did the founding fathers create the Supreme Court?

“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court,” the framers of the Constitution wrote, “and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” The House approved the Judiciary Act of 1789 and President George Washington signed it into law on September ...

What is the Article 3 controversy?

Article III of the U.S. Constitution provides that federal courts have jurisdiction over “Cases” and “Controversies” arising under federal law.

Has Amendment 3 ever been challenged?

Yes, the Third Amendment has been challenged in lower courts, most notably in Engblom v. Carey, but the U.S. Supreme Court has never decided a case solely on Third Amendment grounds, making it the least litigated amendment, though its principles inform privacy rights in cases like Griswold v. Connecticut. Challenges often involve disputes over military intrusion or police actions, but courts usually dismiss them or find other legal grounds, with the amendment's application to states also being undefined. 

Why is the 3rd Amendment often overlooked?

Limited Supreme Court Jurisprudence

Unlike other constitutional amendments, the Third Amendment has rarely been directly litigated before the Supreme Court. The Court has never decided a case solely on Third Amendment grounds, making it unique among the Bill of Rights provisions.

Has the 3rd Amendment ever been violated?

The dispute covered the housing of the National Guard in worker dorms while they were acting as prison workers during a strike. Quartering state-controlled National Guard soldiers in apartments during peacetime violates the Third Amendment rights of the tenants.

What does the Supreme Court say about the Third Amendment?

The Third Amendment seems to have no direct constitutional relevance at present; indeed, not only is it the least litigated amendment in the Bill of Rights, but the Supreme Court has never decided a case on the basis of it.

Where is the original Declaration of Independence?

After the war it was returned to the Library of Congress and today can be seen on display in the rotunda of the National Archives. The dimly lit hall at the National Archive where the Charters of Freedom, the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, are displayed. Washington, D.C.

Is the right to bear arms in the Second Amendment?

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Why is article 3 so important?

Article III is crucial because it establishes the U.S. federal judiciary, creating the Supreme Court and empowering Congress to build lower courts, ensuring a distinct branch of government for interpreting laws and providing checks and balances. Its importance lies in guaranteeing judicial independence (life tenure for judges) and defining federal court jurisdiction, protecting rights like trial by jury, and providing a peaceful forum for resolving disputes, making the rule of law possible.
 

Why is article 3 an absolute right?

This right is absolute. It is never justifiable to torture someone, whatever the circumstances. On a basic level, the reason why this ban is absolute is very simple: torture and inhuman or degrading treatment is wrong because it violates our human dignity.