Political Question Doctrine

 

“The determination by a court (particularly the Supreme Court) that an issue raised about the conduct of public business is a ‘political’ issue to be determined by the legislature (including Congress) or the executive branch and not by the courts. Since 1960 the U.S. Supreme Court has been willing to look at some questions previously considered "political," such as ‘one-man-one-vote,’ as constitutional issues.”

 

Source:  Law.com

 

“Questions of which courts will refuse to take cognizance, or to decide, on account of their purely political character, or because their determination would involve an encroachment upon the executive or legislative powers.

 

‘Political questions doctrine’ holds that certain issues should not be decided by courts because their resolution is committed to another branch of government and/or because those issues are not capable, for one reason or another, of judicial resolution.”

 

Source:  Black’s Law Dictionary, 6^th Edition