Judicial Decisions

Judicial Decisions

Multiple Choice

Judges, especially on the Supreme Court, are supposed to be...

• Independent

• Biased

• Politically motivated

• Elected

Multiple Choice

Why is a Supreme Court Justice influenced by the opinions of Congress?

• Congress can pass a new law to go around the court's decision.

• Since Congress confirms the Justices they can also remove them. 

• Congress will likely amend the Constitution. 

• Congress can reduce the salary of a Justice.

Multiple Choice

Why would a lower federal judge make rulings that the President likes?

• They like to go to parties at the White House.

   

• They are appointed by the President and want to stay in office.

• They want to be on the Supreme Court and the President picks the Justices.

• They are worried that the President could change their pay. 

Multiple Choice

What do you think Craig means by the principle of "precedent"?

• A legal principle that means the Court will use earlier laws or decisions to provide some example or rule to guide them in the case they're deciding

• A legal principle that requires a court to follow the decisions of higher courts in similar cases

• A legal principle that requires a court to make decisions based on the facts of the case

• A legal principle that requires a court to consider the opinions of the public

Multiple Choice

What do you think Stare Decisis is based on the context clues?

• Stare decisis holds that courts and judges should honor “precedent”—or the decisions, rulings, and opinions from prior cases

• Stare Decisis is a legal term that means "do your own thing".

Multiple Choice

Although it isn’t supposed to matter, judges are influenced by their

• political ideology

• Social background

• parents

• Professional experience

Match

Match the following terms with their definitions

•  the idea that the Court should act as an instrument of policy, making it much more like the other two branches of government

•  the idea that judges should pay close attention to the precedent when they make their decisions and that any changes they make to the law should be incremental

• Decisions should be made in light of the Constitution the was it was written in 1787. 

Judicial Activism

Judicial Restraint

Originalism

• Judicial Activism

• Judicial Restraint

• Originalism

Multiple Choice

Judicial philosophy refers

to _____, while political ideology refers to _______ .

• activism and restraint, liberalism or conservatism

• liberalism, conservatism

• Social movements and beliefs, laws and regulations

• liberalism or conservatism, activism and restraint