Government Chapter 14: The Supreme Court of the U.S.

What is the rule of four?

• an informal rule that the executive branch picks four cases to be heard by the Court each session

• an informal agreement that the Court will hear a case if four of the nine justices agree it should be heard

• an unwritten rule that the Court hears four cases each week during its 20-week session

• a constitutional requirement that at least four justices that must be present to hear Court cases

Supreme Court clerks

• review all petitions submitted to the Court and provide summaries and recommendations the justices.

• write the petitions for a writ of certiorari.

• write the advisory opinions for the Court.

• record the transcripts of testimony given in Court hearings.

What is the role of the Supreme Court?

• to resolve disputes over the meaning of federal laws and the U.S. Constitution

• to prevent errors in cases tried in lower courts

• to carry out laws passed by Congress

• to establish qualifications for practicing law in the United States

What do Supreme Court justices look for when deciding which cases to hear?

• cases where lower courts have made errors

• cases with new evidence

• cases where lower courts have consistently decided the same issue the same way

• cases where lower courts are inconsistently applying federal laws

What is a writ of certiorari?

• It is a person who reviews petitions to the Supreme Court.

• It is a ruling that declares a law or policy unconstitutional.

• It is an order to a lower court to send up the records of a case

• It is a ruling on a law that has not yet been challenged in court.

What is the power of judicial review?

• It is the power of the Senate to confirm nominations to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court.

• It is the power to decide if a law is unconstitutional.

• It is the power of the president to nominate a person to fill a vacant seat on the Supreme Court.

• It is the right of a defendant to petition the Supreme Court to review the ruling of a lower court.

What is the majority opinion in a ruling?

• A written statement from parties affected by the outcome of a case expressing how they want the justices to rule and why.

• A statement assigned by the most senior justice in the majority that explains the reason the decision was made.

• A statement written by a justice who agreed with the decision but includes a different justification for the decision.

• A written statement from the solicitor general expressing the decision he or she believes will benefit the majority of people in the country.

What are the correct steps and sequence for cases argued at the Supreme Court?

• briefs submitted, written records of case reviewed, oral arguments, decision reached, opinions written

• opinions written, written record of case reviewed, oral arguments, decision reached, brief submitted

• oral arguments, opinions written, briefs submitted, written records of case reviewed, decision reached

• oral arguments, briefs submitted, written records of case reviewed, decision reached, opinions written

Which best describes the role public opinion plays in Court decisions?

• Justices make decisions they believe are held by the majority of Americans.

• Public opinion has no effect on the decisions made by the Court.

• Justices try to announce and explain decisions in ways that will build support for the Court and the implementation of the decision.

• Justices rely on the opinions of the solicitor general to provide information on public opinion.

Which best describes why the Court changed its ruling on segregation in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision?

• Segregation was no longer practiced in southern states in 1954.

• The U.S. Congress had recently passed the Civil Rights Act banning segregation.

• Amendments to the Constitution were added in the early 1950s banning segregation.

• The values in American society were changing and segregation was losing support.