Question 1

An opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the decision of the majority is known as a

Accepted Answer

A)   majority opinion.
B)   plurality opinion.
C)   dissenting opinion.
D)   concurring opinion.
E)   per curiam opinion.

Question 2

A case CANNOT proceed directly to the Supreme Court from which of the following types of courts?

Accepted Answer

A)   U.S. Federal Court of Appeals
B)   Court of International Trade
C)   Court of Federal Claims
D)   local trials court
E)   a state's highest court of appeals

Question 3

What functions does the Supreme Court serve today? How have its functions changed since the founding of the republic? Should the Supreme Court wield more or less power than it currently does?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court serves several functio...

Question 4

An opinion written by one justice on behalf of at least five members of the Court is known as

Accepted Answer

A)   a majority opinion.
B)   a plurality opinion.
C)   a dissenting opinion.
D)   a concurring opinion.
E)   a per curiam opinion.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about the U.S. court system is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)   The United States possesses a "dual court system," placing citizens under the jurisdiction of both state and national courts.
B)   American citizens who are found guilty in a federal court may appeal the decision in their state court system.
C)   Appeals from the state system to the Supreme Court can only move in that direction, not the reverse.
D)   Cases involving citizens from separate states may be begun in either a state court system or in the federal court system.
E)   If a diversity suit is begun in a federal court, the case cannot be transferred to a state court.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT one of the means by which Congress has traditionally expressed its disapproval with a Supreme Court decision?

Accepted Answer

A)   voting to remove offending justices from the Court
B)   drafting amendments to ensure the constitutionality of desired policies
C)   modifying the Court's appellate jurisdiction
D)   refusing to fund programs required to put Court decisions into effect
E)   rewriting overturned laws so that the Supreme Court must either readdress them or leave them be

Question 7

Which federal office is known as the "tenth justice" because of the Supreme Court's high receptivity to its petitions?

Accepted Answer

A)   attorney general
B)   president of the United States
C)   solicitor general
D)   Speaker of the House
E)   Secretary of Justice

Question 8

Which of the following entities has the LEAST direct role in deciding who will fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

A)   the president
B)   the FBI
C)   the ABA
D)   the Senate
E)   the American public

Question 9

In which of the following instances is the Supreme Court most likely to agree to hear a case?

Accepted Answer

A)   if the case involves an issue over which the Court is internally divided
B)   if the case involves an issue that has received little attention from the lower courts
C)   if the case consists primarily of a dispute over facts
D)   if the case involves an issue that has been decided differently by separate lower courts
E)   if the case does not involve a weighty issue of jurisprudence

Question 10

Which of the following statements about Franklin Roosevelt's "court-packing" proposal is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)   It succeeded in increasing judicial support for Roosevelt's New Deal programs.
B)   It was accepted by the majority of Congress as a reasonable means of countering the entrenched conservatism of the Supreme Court.
C)   It would have forced every Supreme Court justice over the age of 70 to retire or face impeachment proceedings.
D)   It inspired a judicial backlash that effectively brought the New Deal era to an end.
E)   It was unconstitutional, because the Constitution stipulates that the Supreme Court should consist of exactly nine justices.

Question 11

Who was the first Jewish justice on the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

A)   Arthur Goldberg
B)   Abe Fortas
C)   Louis Brandeis
D)   Ruth Bader Ginsburg
E)   Stephen Breyer

Question 12

An opinion written on behalf of the largest bloc of justices, if that bloc numbers fewer than five members, is known as a

Accepted Answer

A)   majority opinion.
B)   plurality opinion.
C)   dissenting opinion.
D)   concurring opinion.
E)   per curiam opinion.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about the early history of the Supreme Court is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Supreme Court was one of the few effective national institutions to originate under the Articles of Confederation.
B)   From its first year, the Supreme Court was inundated with landmark cases.
C)   John Marshall was the first chief justice of the Supreme Court.
D)   The Supreme Court was created largely because the American people demanded a national court to preserve their liberties.
E)   Appointments to the Supreme Court initially carried such little prestige that many appointees declined to accept their seats.

Question 14

Edward White, Harlan Stone, and William Rehnquist are exceptional for being the only Supreme Court justices

Accepted Answer

A)   to die in office.
B)   to be removed from office through impeachment.
C)   to be appointed chief justice while serving as an associate justice.
D)   to be appointed to the Court despite being marked as "not qualified" by the ABA.
E)   who were close friends of the president who nominated them.

Question 15

Most cases that begin in a state court system are resolved in

Accepted Answer

A)   the U.S. Supreme Court.
B)   that (the state)  system.
C)   U.S. district courts.
D)   U.S. appellate courts.
E)   specialty courts.

Question 16

When Justice Scalia died in 2016, what was the initial response by high-ranking Republican senators that would be involved in the confirmation process of a new justice?

Accepted Answer

A)   to proclaim that the Senate would either not confirm or not give a hearing to any Obama nominee that year
B)   to call on President Obama to nominate a justice that would be acceptable to both parties
C)   to lament that the next justice confirmed to the Supreme Court would not be as conservative as the one who had just passed
D)   to proclaim that Senate Republicans would filibuster any Obama nominee that year
E)   to make a vague promise that they would give any Obama nominee a fair confirmation hearing

Question 17

Which of the following is among the small number of nations whose citizens are nearly as litigious as those of the United States?

Accepted Answer

A)   Germany
B)   Spain
C)   Japan
D)   Italy
E)   England

Question 18

A case that begins in the national court system will be resolved

Accepted Answer

A)   only in the national court system.
B)   in any national or state court.
C)   in any state supreme court.
D)   only in U.S. district courts.
E)   only in U.S. appellate courts.

Question 19

The only way a case can move from a state court system to the national system is through

Accepted Answer

A)   an appeal from the state's highest court to the U.S. Supreme Court.
B)   a request from that state's U.S. senator.
C)   an appeal from the state's lowest court to the U.S. district court.
D)   an appeal from any state court to the U.S. appellate court.
E)   a request from that state's governor.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT one of the trends evident in the judiciary over the past sixty years?

Accepted Answer

A)   The court system has grown increasingly accessible to private citizens.
B)   The Supreme Court has expanded its role in shaping public policy.
C)   The Supreme Court has demonstrated a willingness to investigate a broader range of judicial questions.
D)   Interest groups have increasingly relied on lawsuits rather than elections to achieve their goals.
E)   The court system has grown less accessible to business groups and other private interests.

Exam 14: The Courts: Judicial Power in a Democratic Setting

When Justice Scalia died in 2016, what was the initial response by high-ranking Republican senators that would be involved in the confirmation process of a new justice?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A case that begins in the national court system will be resolved

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What functions does the Supreme Court serve today? How have its functions changed since the founding of the republic? Should the Supreme Court wield more or less power than it currently does?

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe Supreme Court serves several functio...View AnswerShow Answer

Which of the following statements about the U.S. court system is LEAST accurate?

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The only way a case can move from a state court system to the national system is through

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Which of the following statements about the early history of the Supreme Court is most accurate?

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Which of the following is NOT one of the trends evident in the judiciary over the past sixty years?

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Most cases that begin in a state court system are resolved in

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Which of the following is among the small number of nations whose citizens are nearly as litigious as those of the United States?

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An opinion written on behalf of the largest bloc of justices, if that bloc numbers fewer than five members, is known as a

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Which federal office is known as the "tenth justice" because of the Supreme Court's high receptivity to its petitions?

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An opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the decision of the majority is known as a

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

An opinion written by one justice on behalf of at least five members of the Court is known as

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Who was the first Jewish justice on the Supreme Court?

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Edward White, Harlan Stone, and William Rehnquist are exceptional for being the only Supreme Court justices

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Which of the following entities has the LEAST direct role in deciding who will fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court?

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Which of the following statements about Franklin Roosevelt's "court-packing" proposal is most accurate?

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In which of the following instances is the Supreme Court most likely to agree to hear a case?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A case CANNOT proceed directly to the Supreme Court from which of the following types of courts?

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Which of the following is NOT one of the means by which Congress has traditionally expressed its disapproval with a Supreme Court decision?

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The Supreme Court serves several functio...
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