Question 1

Who is charged with drafting cert memos, which summarize the facts, describe the legal arguments, and make a recommendation as to whether the Supreme Court should take the case?

Accepted Answer

A)   the chief justice
B)   the associate justices
C)   the attorney general of the United States
D)   Supreme Court clerks
E)   the U.S. Attorney's Office in each state

Question 2

The common law is based on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   legislation
B)   statute
C)   earlier court decisions
D)   previous decisions of British Parliament
E)   administrative rulings

Question 3

In a civil lawsuit, negligence that causes harm to another person's body or property is known as

Accepted Answer

A)   a tort.
B)   a statutory violation.
C)   certiorari.
D)   stare decisis.
E)   common law.

Question 4

The Constitution grants ________ the right to control the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.

Accepted Answer

A)   Congress
B)   the Senate
C)   the Supreme Court
D)   the attorney general of the United States
E)   the president

Question 5

For the Supreme Court to hear a case, how many of the nine justices must want to hear it?

Accepted Answer

A)   4
B)   5
C)   6
D)   7
E)   9

Question 6

How many federal courts of appeal are there?

Accepted Answer

A)   1
B)   6
C)   13
D)   27
E)   94

Question 7

Which of the following best describes the ideological distribution of the Supreme Court today?

Accepted Answer

A)   heavily conservative
B)   slightly conservative
C)   ideologically neutral, with equal numbers of conservatives and liberals
D)   slightly liberal
E)   heavily liberal

Question 8

Gallup opinion polls show that the public trusts the judicial branch

Accepted Answer

A)   less than both the legislative branch and the executive branch.
B)   more than both the legislative branch and the executive branch.
C)   more than the legislative branch, but less than the executive branch.
D)   more than the executive branch, but less than the legislative branch.
E)   about the same as it does both the executive branch and the legislative branch.

Question 9

The vast majority of crimes in the United States are dealt with by ________ legislation.

Accepted Answer

A)   local
B)   state
C)   federal
D)   international
E)   None of these answers is correct.

Question 10

In the federal judicial system, the main court(s)  of original jurisdiction for most cases is/are the

Accepted Answer

A)   trial courts.
B)   trial courts and appeals courts.
C)   appeals courts and the Supreme Court.
D)   trial courts and the Supreme Court.
E)   Supreme Court.

Question 11

What term is used to describe a court made up of a group of judges who must evaluate a case together and decide on an outcome?

Accepted Answer

A)   collegial court
B)   combined court
C)   conflated court
D)   concurrent court
E)   corporate court

Question 12

According to judicial scholar Thomas Keck, the most activist Supreme Court was the ________ Court.

Accepted Answer

A)   Warren
B)   Roberts
C)   Kennedy
D)   Rehnquist
E)   Burger

Question 13

Which of the following conducts impeachment trials for federal judges?

Accepted Answer

A)   the House
B)   the Senate
C)   the Supreme Court
D)   the attorney general of the United States
E)   the executive through the White House counsel

Question 14

The current Supreme Court is known as the ________ Court.

Accepted Answer

A)   Warren
B)   Roberts
C)   Kennedy
D)   Rehnquist
E)   Burger

Question 15

Senatorial courtesy, used today in the selection of ________, gives a senator the right to veto an appointment to when the senator and nominee are from the same home state.

Accepted Answer

A)   state high court judges
B)   district court and courts of appeals judges
C)   state courts of appeals judges
D)   Senate Judiciary Committee members
E)   Supreme Court justices

Question 16

Of the members of the Supreme Court in 2016, which one had the closest confirmation vote in the Senate?

Accepted Answer

A)   Samuel Alito
B)   Anthony Kennedy
C)   Sonia Sotomayor
D)   Elena Kagan
E)   Clarence Thomas

Question 17

Which of the following statements about constitutional law is accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)   Constitutional law is binding only on the actions of the federal government.
B)   The law of state constitutions is supreme, but the U.S. Constitution is next.
C)   Constitutional law arises from federal statutes.
D)   All laws in the United States must comply with the U.S. Constitution.
E)   All of these answers are correct.

Question 18

The view that judicial decision making is guided by the ideology of individual judges is known as the

Accepted Answer

A)   attitudinal model.
B)   legal model.
C)   dissenting opinion.
D)   strategic model.
E)   concurring opinion.

Question 19

The attempt to ensure that governing bodies are representative of major demographic groups in proportions similar to their representation in the population at large is known as ________ representation.

Accepted Answer

A)   descriptive
B)   substantive
C)   proportional
D)   symbolic
E)   delegate

Question 20

Initially, the federal judiciary was

Accepted Answer

A)   very strong, with significant authority.
B)   quite strong, with moderate authority.
C)   quite weak, with little authority.
D)   very weak, with almost no authority.
E)   dependent on the states for its existence.

Exam 15: The Judiciary

How many federal courts of appeal are there?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What term is used to describe a court made up of a group of judges who must evaluate a case together and decide on an outcome?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The view that judicial decision making is guided by the ideology of individual judges is known as the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Senatorial courtesy, used today in the selection of ________, gives a senator the right to veto an appointment to when the senator and nominee are from the same home state.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The vast majority of crimes in the United States are dealt with by ________ legislation.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the federal judicial system, the main court(s) of original jurisdiction for most cases is/are the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In a civil lawsuit, negligence that causes harm to another person's body or property is known as

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following best describes the ideological distribution of the Supreme Court today?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Constitution grants ________ the right to control the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following conducts impeachment trials for federal judges?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to judicial scholar Thomas Keck, the most activist Supreme Court was the ________ Court.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Of the members of the Supreme Court in 2016, which one had the closest confirmation vote in the Senate?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Initially, the federal judiciary was

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The current Supreme Court is known as the ________ Court.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

For the Supreme Court to hear a case, how many of the nine justices must want to hear it?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Who is charged with drafting cert memos, which summarize the facts, describe the legal arguments, and make a recommendation as to whether the Supreme Court should take the case?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The common law is based on which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Gallup opinion polls show that the public trusts the judicial branch

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The attempt to ensure that governing bodies are representative of major demographic groups in proportions similar to their representation in the population at large is known as ________ representation.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements about constitutional law is accurate?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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