Question 1

The person responsible for litigating on behalf of the federal government is the ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   attorney general
B)   chief justice
C)   solicitor general
D)   federal chief procurator

Question 2

Why is plea bargaining so prevalent in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Most civil and criminal cases are settle...

Question 3

Presidents

Accepted Answer

A)   must nominate law-school graduates to federal judgeships.
B)   can nominate whomever they wish to federal judgeships.
C)   must nominate someone with a rating of "well qualified" from the American Bar Association.
D)   typically allow U.S. senators to tell them whom to nominate for federal judgeships.

Question 4

When the Supreme Court justices interpret the Affordable Care Act, they are engaged in ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   constitutional review
B)   judicial review
C)   statutory interpretation
D)   congressional oversight

Question 5

A class-action lawsuit

Accepted Answer

A)   involves one litigant.
B)   involves many litigants.
C)   is banned in most states.
D)   is a poor way to provide accountability and justice in our economic system.

Question 6

Which one of the following statements is accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)   No presidential nomination to the federal judiciary has been filibustered in U.S. history.
B)   The nuclear option was invoked by the Republicans during Bill Clinton's presidency.
C)   Both major parties have been willing to use the filibuster to block judicial nominees.
D)   Presidential nominations to the federal courts have not been very controversial for the past 25 years.

Question 7

________ wrote that the Supreme Court would be "beyond comparison the weakest of the three departments of power."

Accepted Answer

A)   John Marshall
B)   James Madison
C)   Alexander Hamilton
D)   James Wilson

Question 8

Why is standing an important criterion for the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

A)   It can only be used if the mootness criterion is also used.
B)   It allows the Supreme Court to duck hearing politically sensitive cases by ruling that the plaintiff does not have standing.
C)   It helps interest groups know whether or not they can submit an amicus curiae brief.
D)   It supports the Rule of Four in helping Supreme Court justices decide which cases to hear.

Question 9

Which one of the following is the most severe restriction on the Supreme Court's policy-making role?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Court has only nine members.
B)   The justices cannot set the judicial agenda and can only choose from cases appealed to it.
C)   The president can change the size of the Court if the president disagrees with its decisions.
D)   The Court is required to follow the dictates of precedent even when its justices disagree with those precedents.

Question 10

The significance of the Court asserting its power to review the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress is that it

Accepted Answer

A)   allowed the Court to become an equal partner in the institutional balance of power.
B)   ensured the survival of dual federalism.
C)   ensured that the rights of the majority would prevail.
D)   allowed the Court to have the final say on all national laws and policies.

Question 11

Opinion assigning duties for Supreme Court decisions are determined by ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   patronage
B)   seniority
C)   random chance
D)   the wishes of the clerk

Question 12

Although judicial review is an accepted part of the U.S. political system, critics of judicial review contend that it

Accepted Answer

A)   provides too much power to the majority.
B)   is undemocratic because it gives nine unelected judges enormous power.
C)   is undemocratic because a minority of the Court can affect national policy.
D)   creates liberal bias in the system because most justices are former lawyers from Ivy League universities.

Question 13

Describe the basic structure of the federal courts.

Accepted Answer

The general trial-level courts in the fe...

Question 14

Although appeals courts are between the district courts and the Supreme Court, in actuality it is in the appeals courts where the final decision is rendered in most federal appellate cases.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The framers gave federal judges lifetime tenure so that they could be independent.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Unlike the first 100 years of the Supreme Court's history, more recent time periods have displayed an increased tendency toward

Accepted Answer

A)   making unanimous decisions.
B)   employing political justifications for overturning precedent.
C)   expressing minority views through dissents.
D)   ruling in favor of the side with public opinion behind it.

Question 17

When a president consults with a senator from a court nominee's home state and who shares a party affiliation with the president, she or he is engaging in ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   senatorial courtesy
B)   precedent
C)   amicus curiae
D)   judicial activism

Question 18

The Supreme Court justices typically hear about 20 percent of all cases submitted to them for appeal.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Why did Alexander Hamilton argue that the judiciary would be the weakest branch of government at the federal level? Explain.

Accepted Answer

Alexander Hamilton argued that the judic...

Question 20

Activist judges

Accepted Answer

A)   are always liberal.
B)   tend to take a strict interpretation of the Constitution.
C)   tend to uphold precedent most of the time.
D)   can be conservative.

Exam 13: The Courts

Although appeals courts are between the district courts and the Supreme Court, in actuality it is in the appeals courts where the final decision is rendered in most federal appellate cases.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When the Supreme Court justices interpret the Affordable Care Act, they are engaged in ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

________ wrote that the Supreme Court would be "beyond comparison the weakest of the three departments of power."

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Describe the basic structure of the federal courts.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe general trial-level courts in the fe...View AnswerShow Answer

Presidents

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Unlike the first 100 years of the Supreme Court's history, more recent time periods have displayed an increased tendency toward

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which one of the following is the most severe restriction on the Supreme Court's policy-making role?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A class-action lawsuit

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Supreme Court justices typically hear about 20 percent of all cases submitted to them for appeal.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why is plea bargaining so prevalent in the United States?

Correct AnswerverifiedMost civil and criminal cases are settle...View AnswerShow Answer

Which one of the following statements is accurate?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why is standing an important criterion for the Supreme Court?

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When a president consults with a senator from a court nominee's home state and who shares a party affiliation with the president, she or he is engaging in ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Although judicial review is an accepted part of the U.S. political system, critics of judicial review contend that it

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Opinion assigning duties for Supreme Court decisions are determined by ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The framers gave federal judges lifetime tenure so that they could be independent.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The significance of the Court asserting its power to review the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress is that it

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Activist judges

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The person responsible for litigating on behalf of the federal government is the ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why did Alexander Hamilton argue that the judiciary would be the weakest branch of government at the federal level? Explain.

Correct AnswerverifiedAlexander Hamilton argued that the judic...View AnswerShow Answer

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The general trial-level courts in the fe...
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Most civil and criminal cases are settle...
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Alexander Hamilton argued that the judic...
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