American Government: Judiciary

1)    Which of the following is true of nominees for federal judgeships?

• a.     They are recruited from the current pool of United States attorneys.

• a.     They are nominated by the Senate and approved by the House of Representatives.

• a.     They are elected in popular elections in individual states.

• a.     They must receive the approval of the American Bar Association upon nomination.

• a.     They are appointed for life by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

1)    Which of the following is true of most federal judges appointed by the president?

• a.     They serve ten-year terms.

• a.     They serve as long as the appointing president stays in power.

• a.     They serve for life on good behavior unless removed by the president.

• a.     They serve for life on good behavior unless impeached and convicted by Congress.

• a.     They serve for life and are not subject to congressional impeachment.

1)    Congress passes a law requiring that all public accommodations provide access for people with disabilities. The United States Supreme Court rules that the law does not apply to the airline industry. Which of the following is the best way for Congress to provide people with disabilities access to the airline industry in light of the Court’s ruling?

• a.     Appeal the ruling to the United States Court of Appeals

• a.     Override the court with a two-thirds majority in both chambers

• a.     Pass a new law that specifies that the airlines must provide access for people with disabilities

• a.     Remove members of the Supreme Court who ruled against the law and have the president appoint new justices

1)    Presidents have had the most success in changing the direction of decisions of the federal judiciary by

• a.     threatening to ask Congress to impeach specific judges

• a.     using the media to build consensus for the President's position

• a.     requesting that Congress reduce the term of office that judges may serve

• a.     using the appointment process to select judges with judicial philosophies (political ideologies) similar to those of the President

• a.     pressuring Congress to pass the appropriate legislation to override judicial opinions

1)    A United States Supreme Court justice has announced his retirement at the end of the current Supreme Court term. What is the most likely presidential action in response to this announcement?

• a.     Confer with House leadership to discuss potential nominees

• a.     Confer with the chief justice to discuss potential nominees

• a.     Nominate a federal judge who shares the president’s ideology

• a.     Nominate a sitting senator of the majority party