Judiciary Quiz#1

The court that is the final interpreter of all matters involving the Constitution and federal laws and treaties is the

• circuit court.

• Supreme Court.

• district court.

• administrative court.

Each of the 50 states

• can nominate a Supreme Court Justice.

• can overrule federal law.

• maintains its own courts.

• has its own circuit courts.

Not everyone can challenge a law. Litigants must have what is called ________, meaning that they must have a serious personal stake in the case, typically determined by whether or not they have sustained or are in danger of an injury.

• stare decisis

• standing to sue

• legal prerogative

• a writ of mandamus

The ability of the federal courts to make public policy derives from all of the following EXCEPT their power to

• interpret existing law

• impose mandated remedies

• interpret the United States Constitution

• enact new laws

A written opinion in a Supreme Court case is a

• form of press release written by the chief justice.

• statement of the legal reasoning behind a decision.

• way of establishing the Court's agenda.

• formality handled by the chief justice's law clerks.

All courts rely heavily upon ________(the way similar cases were handled in the past) as a guide to current decisions.

• writs of mandamus

• writs of certiorari

• precedent

• original intent

The Supreme Court ________ overrule its own precedents.

• will routinely

• cannot

• has tried but has failed to

• can

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

• justiciability

• amicus curiae

• diversity

• stare decisis

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 holds high courts responsible for determining the constitutionality of proposed legislation before it becomes law.

• It is the policy by which the Supreme Court decides which of the appellate cases it will hear.

• It is the principle that affirms that courts are bound by prior decisions.

Which of the following best explains the principle of stare decisis?

• It requires that at least four Supreme Court justices agree to hear a case.

• It increases the number of cases judges are required to hear.

• It encourages presidents to take judicial experiences into account when nominating judges.

• It encourages judges to follow precedent when deciding cases.