Define subject matter jurisdiction. In terms of subject matter jurisdiction, describe the types of cases that are subject to:

a) exclusive federal jurisdiction; b) concurrent (in other words, both federal and state) jurisdiction; and c) state court jurisdiction.

Subject matter jurisdiction is the power of a court to render a decision in a particular type of case. In terms of subject matter jurisdiction, federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over the following cases: 1 ) admiralty; 2 ) bankruptcy; 3 ) copyrights, trademarks, and patents; 4 ) claims against the U.S. government; 5 ) claims arising under statutes providing for exclusive federal jurisdiction; and 6 ) federal criminal prosecutions. Cases involving concurrent jurisdiction include those involving a federal question and those involving diversity of citizenship. When the basis for federal jurisdiction is diversity of citizenship, an amount in excess of $75,000 must be in controversy. The state court system has subject matter jurisdiction over all cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal court system.