Judiciary

The idea that judges ought to freely strike down laws that are inconsistent with their understanding of the Constitution is known as

• original intent.
• judicial restraint.
• judicial activism.
• judicial review.

The doctrine of stare decisis is significant for which of the following reasons?

• It establishes the jurisdiction of federal courts in litigation involving two or more states.
• It is the principle that affirms that courts are bound by prior decisions.
• It is the policy by which the Supreme Court decides which appellate cases it will hear.
• It holds high courts responsible for determining the constitutionality of proposed legislation before it becomes law.

Congress has the constitutional power to control the judicial branch by

• determining the size of the Supreme Court.
• nominating the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
• reducing the salary of judges while they are sitting.
• altering the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

Which of the following is a way Congress can influence the federal judiciary?

• It can prohibit judicial activism.
• It can filibuster decisions made by courts.
• It can change appellate jurisdiction of federal courts.
• It can exercise oversight authority over rulings of individual justices.

In the United States judicial system, when a judge decides a case based on decisions rendered in similar cases in the past, the judge is following the principle of

• amicus curiae.
• stare decisis.
• justiciability.
• certiorari.

In which of the following circumstances would the rule of four be applied?

• Four senators agree to a cloture motion.
• Congress adjourns its session within four days of submitting a bill to the president, and the president does not act.
• Four states request a writ of certiorari.
• At least four justices on the Supreme Court agree that a case should be put on the Court’s docket.

Why is federal case law more frequently established by the United States courts of appeal than by the United States Supreme Court?

• Courts of appeal must decide cases appealed to it from the lower courts, while the Supreme Court can choose its cases and hears relatively few each year.
• Courts of appeal usually have jurisdiction over cases appealed from state supreme courts.
• There are more judges on the courts of appeal than on the Supreme Court, so they can overrule the Supreme Court’s decisions.
• According to the Constitution, rulings by the courts of appeal have more significance than Supreme Court rulings.

A nonlitigant group or individual that wants to attempt to influence the court in a particular case can file

• an amicus curiae brief.
• a writ of error Coram Nobis.
• a habeas corpus petition.
• a writ of certiorari.

Which of the following is filed when an imprisoned person wants to be brought before a judge so that the judge can determine whether his or her imprisonment is legal?

• Bill of Attainder
• Ex post facto petition
• Writ of certiorari
• Habeas corpus petition

The number of justices on the United States Supreme Court is set by

• national convention.
• Congress.
• the President.
• the United States Constitution.