Question 1

The Supreme Court's rulings can

Accepted Answer

be overturned by constitutional amendments at both the federal and state levels.

Question 2

The U.S. Supreme Court can exercise original jurisdiction

Accepted Answer

in cases affecting foreign diplomats and in cases in which a state is a party.

Question 3

Which of the following are important requirements which must be met before a case can be brought before a court?

Accepted Answer

jurisdiction and standing to sue

Question 4

When the Supreme Court's written opinion is unsigned, it is

Accepted Answer

called an opinion per curiam (by the court).

Question 5

Appointments to the federal courts of appeal are

Accepted Answer

often stepping-stones to the Supreme Court.

Question 6

As part of the federal court system, each state contains

Accepted Answer

at least one federal district court.

Question 7

Jurisdiction refers to

Accepted Answer

the authority of a court to hear and decide certain cases.

Question 8

Supreme Court justices are

Accepted Answer

appointed by the president.

Question 9

An issue that a court believes should be decided by the executive or legislative branch is a(n)

Accepted Answer

political question.

Question 10

All of the following are true of the Supreme Court EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

the Supreme Court has never heard a case involving the issue of capital punishment.

Question 11

The federal appeals court process involves

Accepted Answer

a panel of judges which reviews the case record and determines whether the trial court committed an error.

Question 12

The United States Constitution is

Accepted Answer

the supreme land of the law.

Question 13

In cases involving diversity of citizenship or federal questions, ______ have jurisdiction.

Accepted Answer

federal courts

Question 14

Justices who believe in ______ look to the letter of the law when they attempt to interpret the Constitution or a particular statute.

Accepted Answer

strict construction

Question 15

Alexis de Tocqueville, a commentator on American society in the 1800s, noted that Americans rely on courts

Accepted Answer

to resolve political questions.

Question 16

A writ of certiorari by the Supreme Court orders

Accepted Answer

a lower court to send up the record of a case for review.

Question 17

Standing to sue is

Accepted Answer

determined by whether or not a person or group has suffered a harm or has been threatened harm as a result of the action that led to the dispute in question.

Question 18

A procedure used by the Supreme Court in determining which cases it will hear is called ______, after the number of justices who must vote to grant a petition for review.

Accepted Answer

the rule of four

Question 19

Once appointed to a judgeship, federal judges

Accepted Answer

hold that job for life

Question 20

The levels of the federal court system are

Accepted Answer

U.S. district courts, intermediate U.S. courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Question 21

All of the following are true about presidential appointments to the Supreme Court EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

President Obama's appointments to the Supreme Court changed the ideological balance of the Court.

Question 22

A Supreme Court justice who disagrees with the majority opinion may

Accepted Answer

write a dissenting opinion.

Question 23

Justiciable controversies are those which

Accepted Answer

are real and substantial, as opposed to hypothetical or academic.

Question 24

Standing to sue is

Accepted Answer

determined by whether or not a person or group has suffered a harm or has been threatened harm as a result of the action that led to the dispute in question.

Question 25

The U.S. Supreme Court can exercise original jurisdiction

Accepted Answer

in cases affecting foreign diplomats and in cases in which a state is a party.

Question 26

When it comes to the Supreme Court justices' reasoning for hearing certain cases and not others, the justices

Accepted Answer

never explain their reasons.

Question 27

A writ of certiorari by the Supreme Court orders

Accepted Answer

a lower court to send up the record of a case for review.

Question 28

According to the George W. Bush administration, enemy combatants

Accepted Answer

could be held indefinitely.

Question 29

Interest groups play an important role in our judicial system because

Accepted Answer

they bring to trial cases of discrimination, civil liberties cases, and more than one-third of cases involving business matters.

Question 30

Which of the following is TRUE regarding Barack Obama's appointments to the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

The appointments were Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan

Question 31

The doctrine of ______ rests on the assumption that the courts should defer to the decisions made by the legislative and executive branches.

Accepted Answer

judicial restraint

Question 32

In terms of judicial implementation or enforcement of Supreme Court rulings, the Court

Accepted Answer

has no enforcement powers and depends on the cooperation of the other two branches of government to carry out its decisions.

Question 33

The number of signed opinions issued by the Supreme Court each term has

Accepted Answer

dwindled notably since the 1980s.

Question 34

The concept of senatorial courtesy refers to the

Accepted Answer

practice of allowing a senator to veto a judicial appointment for federal district courts in his or her state.

Question 35

To engage in legal proceedings or seek relief in a court of law is to

Accepted Answer

litigate.

Question 36

When William Rehnquist was appointed chief justice in 1986,

Accepted Answer

he became known as a strong anchor of the Court's conservative wing.

Question 37

The U.S. Supreme Court can review a state supreme court decision

Accepted Answer

only if a federal question is involved.

Question 38

Judicial activism means

Accepted Answer

that the federal judiciary should actively check the activities of governmental bodies when they exceed their authority.

Question 39

In 2009, the Obama administration abolished

Accepted Answer

the category of enemy combatant.

Question 40

The most common occupational background of Supreme Court justices at the time of their appointment has been

Accepted Answer

private legal practice or state or federal judgeship.

Question 41

The body of judge-made law that originated in England from decisions shaped according to prevailing custom is known as

Accepted Answer

the common law

Question 42

Most American law is based on

Accepted Answer

the English legal system.

Question 43

During its first term, the Roberts Court

Accepted Answer

accepted few controversial cases for review.

Question 44

If a case is affirmed, it

Accepted Answer

means a court ruling is valid and must stand.

Question 45

A court rule bearing on subsequent legal decisions in similar cases is called a

Accepted Answer

precedent.

Question 46

Case law includes all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

constitutional amendments

Question 47

When the Supreme Court decides an issue, ______ are obligated to abide by the Court's decision.

Accepted Answer

all of the nation's courts

Question 48

Public opinion can serve as a check on the judiciary because

Accepted Answer

a court may lose stature if it decides a case in a way that markedly diverges from public opinion.

Question 49

The FISA court can

Accepted Answer

issue warrants without the requester having to publicly reveal the information used to justify the warrant.

Chapter 12 example #45503

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you need?