APGOPO Unit 2: Interactions Among the Branches

Who is the head of the Judicial Branch of Government?

• The Speaker of the House

• The President Pro Tempore

• The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

• Associate Supreme Court Justice

What did Hamilton mean when he made the following statement?

“Laws are a dead letter without courts to expound and define their true meaning and operation.” —Alexander Hamilton

• For laws to be effective, there must be courts to make them known to citizens consistently.

• For laws to be effective, there must be courts to interpret them consistently.

• Laws that are not obeyed should be repealed by the courts.

• Laws that are not obeyed should be enforced by the courts.

Why did the Constitution provide for two separate court systems?

• to keep the federal court system from being overwhelmed

• to establish the federal court system as having more power than State courts

• to maintain a balance of power between the Federal Government and the States

• to strengthen the balance of power between the three branches of Federal Government

What is the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction?

• Original jurisdiction refers to a case being heard in a federal court; appellate jurisdiction refers to a case being heard in a State court.

• Original jurisdiction refers to criminal or civil cases; appellate jurisdiction refers to only to civil cases.

• Original jurisdiction refers to a case that could be heard in a federal or a State court; appellate jurisdiction refers to a case that must be heard in a federal court.

• Original jurisdiction refers to a court where a case is first heard; appellate jurisdiction refers to a case being heard after it was tried in a lower court.

How are federal judges selected?

• The person is named to the bench by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

• The person is named to the bench by the President and does not need to be confirmed.

• The person is publicly elected to the bench and confirmed by the Senate.

• The person is nominated by the Senate and chosen by the President.

When a case is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the court can do which of the following?

• Declares the law involved in the case to be unconstitutional.

• Sends the case to Congress to decide on the legality of the law involved.

• Sends the case back to the lower court for reconsideration.

• Passes the case on to a higher court.

This type of jurisdiction is shared by both Federal and State judiciary.

• Appellate

• Original

• Exclusive

• Concurrent

The practice of senatorial courtesy deals with which of the following?

• confirms any federal judge who serves in the State in which the president was born.

• shows courtesy to federal judges who have served in the Senate.

• considers the preferences of senators regarding judges serving in their State.

• ensures that every federal judge has a professional background from his or her State.

The only official task of the vice-president is to

• advise the president in foreign affairs

• preside over the Senate and to vote in case of a tie

• serve as the president's good will ambassador to other countries

• chair government commissions at the President's request

In vetoing a bill, the President does which of the following?

• Rejects only a part of the bill without rejecting it entirely.

• Decides on a bills constitutionality.

• Sends the bill back to its original committee for further review.

• Rejects all sections of the bill.