Govt 6

Front 1

When President George W. Bush appointed __________ and ___________ to the Court, the Supreme Court became the most conservative court in nearly 100 years.

Back 1

John G. Roberts Jr./Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Front 2

All of the following are accurate descriptions of the U.S. Supreme Court in its early years EXCEPT:
I. Many lawyers longed for the prestige of an appointment to the Court.
II. James Madison in The Federalist Papers considered it the "least dangerous branch."
III. Congress failed to provide the Court with its own building.
IV. After sitting in New York City, the justices found themselves hearing cases in the basement of the U.S. Senate.

Back 2

2, 3 and 4

Front 3

Federal courts are not considered to be above the political fray for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

Back 3

Senators play a major role in the selection of potential justices from their states.

Front 4

Among the powers of the judiciary specified in Article III are all of the following EXCEPT

Back 4

Controversies between congress and the president

Front 5

Why did the Framers include life tenure for federal judges?

Back 5

To make judges less likely to be moved by political pressures

Front 6

Judicial review of state actions was claimed by the U.S. Supreme Court in

Back 6

Martin v. Hunter's Lessee.

Front 7

According to Article III, the salaries of federal judges

Back 7

cannot be reduced while they are serving on the bench.

Front 8

The Judiciary Act of 1789

Back 8

established the basic structure of the federal court system.

Front 9

Federal circuit courts originally were created by Congress to

Back 9

function as trial courts in important cases.

Front 10

In 1789, there were ________ justices sitting on the Supreme Court.

Back 10

six

Front 11

In ________, Congress set the size of the Supreme Court at nine.

Back 11

1869

Front 12

The first session of the U.S. Supreme Court took place in

Back 12

New York City

Front 13

The first chief justice of the Supreme Court was

Back 13

John Jay

Front 14

In spite of its limitations, the justices of the first U.S. Supreme Court took several actions to mold the new nation, including

Back 14

refusing to give advice in cases that might later come before the Court

Front 15

In ________, the Supreme Court ruled that it had the right to hear suits brought by the citizens of one state against another state under Article III, Section 2, of the Constitution.

Back 15

Chisholm v Georgia

Front 16

The ________ Amendment was passed to limit the Supreme Court's jurisdiction in response to a Supreme Court decision.

Back 16

Eleventh

Front 17

Chief Justice John Marshall tried to transform the Court into a coequal branch of government through key decisions such as McCulloch v. Maryland that

Back 17

established the supremacy of the federal government over the states through a broadly interpreted necessary and proper clause.

Front 18

Although judicial review was not mentioned in the Constitution, ________ publicly endorsed the idea in Federalist No. ________.

Back 18

Alexander Hamilton/ 78

Front 19

In Marbury v. Madison, the opinion of the Court stressed that

Back 19

it is the authority of the Court to say what the law is.

Front 20

Judicial review is a result of

Back 20

Marbury v Madison

Front 21

Before any state or federal court can hear a case, it must have ________, the authority to hear the case as defined by law or constitution.

Back 21

Juristiction

Front 22

Civil suits by citizens from two different states must show that their dispute is worth at least ________ or more before they can file their claim in federal court.

Back 22

$75,000

Front 23

Appellate courts usually

Back 23

review the legal procedures of a case

Front 24

Under U.S. criminal law, the victim is assumed to be

Back 24

Society in general

Front 25

Suppose you are injured on the job and decide to sue your employer for negligence. In that case, you will be referred to as the ____ in court.

Back 25

Plantiff

Front 26

Today, lawyers can have jurors excused for any reason EXCEPT
I. level of education.
II. race.
III. political party identification.
IV. sex.

Back 26

2 and 4

Front 27

Legislative courts are

Back 27

courts created by Congress for special purposes.

Front 28

________ each have four district courts.

Back 28

New York, California, and Texas

Front 29

Texas is part of the ________ judicial circuit.

Back 29

fifth

Front 30

Cases heard in federal district courts generally fall into one of three categories, including
I. those involving the federal government as a party.
II. those involving decisions remanded by the Supreme Court.
III. those that have a federal question.
IV. those that involve disputes between citizens from two different states.

Back 30

1, 3 and 4

Front 31

Each judicial district has a U.S. attorney whose main job it is to

Back 31

be the chief federal law enforcement officer.

Front 32

The major purpose of the federal circuit courts of appeals is to

Back 32

correct errors of law and procedure.

Front 33

A document containing the collected legal arguments in a case that is filed with a court prior to trial is called

Back 33

a brief

Front 34

Continuity and predictability are maintained in our judicial system through reliance on the doctrine of

Back 34

stare decisis.

Front 35

Senatorial courtesy

Back 35

describes the historical deference of the president to senators of the same political party to approve the nomination of federal district court judges within their states.

Front 36

Only President ________ was able to appoint half of the judges to the federal courts during his term.

Back 36

Ronald Reagan

Front 37

________ make up a majority of the members of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010.

Back 37

Roman Catholics

Front 38

As of 2010, the Supreme Court has had ________ female members in its history.

Back 38

2 or 4

Front 39

Although it is unusual for justices to comment about the nomination process,

Back 39

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor lamented that she was not replaced with another woman.

Front 40

The process of nominating and confirming a justice to the U.S. Supreme Court includes all of the following EXCEPT

Back 40

a requirement that the nominee be unanimously rated as at least "Qualified" by the American Bar Association.

Front 41

The two closest votes in the Senate for successful U.S. Supreme Court nominees were those of

Back 41

Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Clarence Thomas

Front 42

Since 1988, nearly all appellate cases that have arrived at the Court have been through

Back 42

writs of certiorari

Front 43

Appeals to the Supreme Court are not automatic because the Supreme Court

Back 43

determines whether to accept an appeal and consider a case.

Front 44

All of the following are the result of the increased number of clerks that each justice now has EXCEPT

Back 44

shorter terms

Front 45

The member of the Justice Department who handles all Supreme Court appeals for the U.S. government is the

Back 45

Solicitor general

Front 46

Interest groups most often participate in Supreme Court cases through the use of

Back 46

amicus curiae briefs.

Front 47

Research by political scientists finds that

Back 47

the more interest groups that file petitions in support of certiorari, the more likely the Court is to accept the case for review.

Front 48

During conference, Supreme Court justices speak in order by

Back 48

seniority

Front 49

A Supreme Court justice who agrees with the outcome reached by the majority but not with the legal reasoning behind the decision may issue a

Back 49

concurring opinion

Front 50

The idea that judges should use their power broadly to further justice is called

Back 50

judicial activism