Question 1

Which 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 Court cannot set the judicial agenda and can only choose from casesAppealed to it.
C)   The president can change the size of the Court if the president disagrees withIts decisions.
D)   The Court is required to follow the dictates of precedent even when its justices disagree with those precedents.
E)   To show respect for Congress, the Court is generally reluctant to overturn or alter federal law

Question 2

The term "senatorial courtesy" refers to:

Accepted Answer

A)   the Senate deferring to the president in making appointments to the Supreme Court.
B)   the Senate focusing on merit criteria in the appointment process.
C)   the president deferring to members of the president's party from each state in choosing nominees to district courts.
D)   the president focusing on the political preferences of the Senate in selecting Supreme Court nominees.
E)   the tradition of the president providing the names of all judicial nominees to the Senate majority leader first before announcing the nominations publicly.

Question 3

Who is responsible for enforcing most court decisions?

Accepted Answer

A)   the court itself
B)   the president
C)   Congress
D)   the Secretary of State
E)   the solicitor general

Question 4

In some civil cases, the burden of proof can shift from the plaintiff to the defendant.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

What is a writ of mandamus?

Accepted Answer

A)   the ability to rule on the constitutionality of statutes
B)   the original jurisdiction of courts
C)   the right to keep people in prison indefinitely without notifying them of the charges
D)   an order issued by the Supreme Court to initiate impeachment proceedings against a federal official
E)   an order issued to a lower court, government official, or agency to perform acts required by law

Question 6

The process of sharing evidence before a trial, known as discovery, is a key part of:

Accepted Answer

A)   the constitutional law system.
B)   the adversarial system.
C)   the rules on the standard of proof.
D)   a court's jurisdiction.
E)   judicial review.

Question 7

What is an example of a class action lawsuit?

Accepted Answer

A)   any case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court that affects an entire class of people
B)   Bush v. Gore, which ruled on the Florida recount process in the 2000 presidential election
C)   Chisholm v. Georgia, which ruled that a citizen of one state could sue another state in federal court
D)   Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which ruled that corporations were entitled to use treasury funds for independent spending in campaigns
E)   the 1.5 million current and former female Walmart employees who recently sued Walmart for sex discrimination

Question 8

When the Supreme Court interprets a law passed by Congress, it is engaged in:

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

Common law is a system by which a court:

Accepted Answer

A)   ensures that both parties to a case have lawyers and share evidence.
B)   makes legal decisions on the basis of earlier decisions by other courts.
C)   provides a detailed codification of the law.
D)   only hears cases that come from its specific jurisdiction.
E)   hears special cases involving enemy combatants and matters related to national security.

Question 10

Most of the Supreme Court's time is spent hearing cases.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Why does a president typically use partisanship as a criterion in selecting nominees to the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

A)   Moderate judges tend to be less decisive.
B)   The norm of senatorial courtesy requires the president to do so.
C)   The leaders in the president's party put tremendous pressure on the president to choose a loyal party member.
D)   The president wants to choose a nominee with similar political views to advance the president's legacy.
E)   Judges with experience in party politics are often the most knowledgeable and realistic about politics and policy.

Question 12

In which of the following is it possible for judges to face election?

Accepted Answer

A)   constitutional courts
B)   legislative courts
C)   state courts
D)   Supreme Court
E)   All judges are appointed and therefore none face election.

Question 13

A president can counter the influence of a Court decision by:

Accepted Answer

A)   impeaching the chief justice.
B)   not allocating the resources necessary for enforcing that decision.
C)   blocking new appointments to the Supreme Court.
D)   passing new legislation that overturns the Court's decision.
E)   adjourning the Supreme Court.

Question 14

How much detail does the Constitution provide about the requirements for federal judicial service compared to the requirements to serve as president or in Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)   It provides more detail about federal judicial service.
B)   It provides the same amount of detail about both.
C)   It provides less detail about federal judicial service.
D)   It provides no details for federal judicial service.
E)   It provides more detail in all areas, except for age limitations.

Question 15

When the Supreme Court resolves conflicts among lower courts in the interpretation of the law, the principal effect is to:

Accepted Answer

A)   support the importance of judicial review as its main power.
B)   ensure consistent application of the law across the United States.
C)   put judicial activism into practice.
D)   put the supremacy clause of the Constitution into practice.
E)   elevate the prestige of the Supreme Court.

Question 16

The practice of judicial review:

Accepted Answer

A)   was first described in the U.S. Constitution.
B)   is considered today to be essential to a functioning democratic government.
C)   owes its early origins to Germany but is used only in the United States today.
D)   eventually became common throughout most of Europe by the twentieth century.
E)   has spread throughout so-called "third wave" democracies around the world.

Question 17

In Marbury v. Madison, the Court asserted its power by forcing Secretary of State James Madison to deliver Justice William Marbury his commission so that Marbury could rightfully take his place as a justice of the peace.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

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 prevents the Supreme Court from being biased in the way it rules on cases.
D)   It supports the Rule of Four in helping Supreme Court justices decide which cases to hear.
E)   It helps interest groups know whether or not they can submit an amicus curiae brief.

Question 19

________ of the U.S. Constitution created the U.S. Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

A)   Article I
B)   Article II
C)   Article III
D)   Article IV
E)   Article V

Question 20

The chief justice is responsible for assigning the majority opinion to another justice on the Court but only when the chief justice is in the voting majority at the conference meeting.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 14: The Courts

What is an example of a class action lawsuit?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is a writ of mandamus?

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In some civil cases, the burden of proof can shift from the plaintiff to the defendant.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why does a president typically use partisanship as a criterion in selecting nominees to the Supreme Court?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Marbury v. Madison, the Court asserted its power by forcing Secretary of State James Madison to deliver Justice William Marbury his commission so that Marbury could rightfully take his place as a justice of the peace.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why is standing an important criterion for the Supreme Court?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The term "senatorial courtesy" refers to:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How much detail does the Constitution provide about the requirements for federal judicial service compared to the requirements to serve as president or in Congress?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Most of the Supreme Court's time is spent hearing cases.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In which of the following is it possible for judges to face election?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The process of sharing evidence before a trial, known as discovery, is a key part of:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Common law is a system by which a court:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When the Supreme Court interprets a law passed by Congress, it is engaged in:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When the Supreme Court resolves conflicts among lower courts in the interpretation of the law, the principal effect is to:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

________ of the U.S. Constitution created the U.S. Supreme Court.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Who is responsible for enforcing most court decisions?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A president can counter the influence of a Court decision by:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The practice of judicial review:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The chief justice is responsible for assigning the majority opinion to another justice on the Court but only when the chief justice is in the voting majority at the conference meeting.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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