practice by which Supreme Court law clerks work together to evaluate each petition.
question
How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court?
answer
9
question
All of the following are part of the official jurisdiction of the federal courts EXCEPT
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cases involving citizens of more than one state where less than $75,000 is at stake.
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There are ________ circuits in the United States Court of Appeals.
answer
13
question
The assignment of the opinion in a Supreme Court case is
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important because differences in wording and emphasis can have important implications for how the decision is interpreted in future litigation.
question
In recent years, federal court appointments have
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been characterized by intense partisan and ideological efforts to support or defeat the candidate.
question
The doctrine of ________ requires courts to follow authoritative prior decisions when ruling on a case.
answer
stare decisis
question
Which of the following best describes the role of the solicitor general?
answer
The solicitor general is the chief lawyer who represents the United States before the Supreme Court in cases where the federal government is a party.
question
When interest groups involved in litigation pursue a "pattern of cases" strategy, they are
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bringing the same type of suit into multiple circuits, hoping that a contradiction in rulings will bring about a Supreme Court review.
question
In what type of law is the government always the plaintiff?
answer
criminal law
question
About ________ percent of all cases in the United States are heard in state courts.
answer
99
question
Which of the following is part of the Miranda rule?
answer
Arrested people have the right to remain silent.
question
There are ________ U.S. district courts.
answer
94
question
Which of the following statements best describes the Supreme Court?
answer
The justices have broad latitude to decide which cases they will hear and generally hear only those cases they deem to raise the most important issues.
question
Most cases reach the Supreme Court through ________.
answer
a writ of certiorari
question
The written document in which attorneys explain why the court should rule in favor of their clients is called a(n) ________.
answer
brief
question
________ occurs when a criminal case is resolved through a negotiated agreement before a full trial is completed.
answer
A plea bargain
question
Aside from the justices themselves, who or what has the greatest power in shaping the flow of cases to the Supreme Court?
answer
the solicitor general
question
Under normal rules of oral argument, each lawyer has ________ to present his or her case before the Supreme Court.
answer
30 minutes
question
Why has partisan conflict surrounded federal judicial appointments in recent years?
answer
The federal courts play an important role in shaping American law and politics.
question
If someone is an advocate of the philosophy of judicial restraint, he or she believes
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in looking only at the words of the Constitution in order to understand its meaning.
question
The phrase stare decisis means
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"let the decision stand"
question
When a private individual brings a suit against a company for breaking a contract, this is an example of ________ law.
answer
civil
question
The number of cases filed in the Supreme Court
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has increased dramatically since 1940.
question
About ________ percent of all cases in the United States are heard in federal courts.
answer
1
question
Activist judges believe that federal judges should
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go beyond the words of a constitution or statute to consider the broader societal implications of their decisions.
question
The jurisdiction of each federal court is derived from ________.
answer
the Constitution and federal law
question
Which of the following statements about federal courts is most accurate?
answer
Although the federal courts hear only a small fraction of all of the civil and criminal cases decided each year in the United States, their decisions are extremely important because they interpret the Constitution and the federal laws that govern all Americans.
question
About ________ percent of all lower court cases are reviewed by federal appeals courts.
answer
20
question
Each Supreme Court justice is assigned ________ law clerks.
answer
4
question
In most circumstances, a supreme court is best described as a(n) ________ court.
answer
appellate
question
Prisoners who are challenging their convictions are most likely to seek a writ of ________.
answer
habeas corpus
question
What is the significance of dissenting opinions?
answer
Dissents are signs that the Court is in disagreement on an issue and could change its ruling.
question
The right of due process is best described as the right of
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every person not to be treated arbitrarily by a government official or agency.
question
Which of the following statements about the U.S. Courts of Appeals is INCORRECT?
answer
The appeals courts are able to hear all cases involving federal law, but not constitutional law.
question
Why did many Republicans oppose President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court?
answer
She supported affirmative action.
question
When a justice agrees with the ruling of the Court's majority but not all of its reasoning, he or she may often write ________.
answer
a concurrence
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