Judicial Branch Vocabulary Quiz

Those who believe that the Supreme Court in its rulings should defer to the elective institutions of government are advocating

• Social Darwinism

• Judicial Activism

• Judicial Restraint

• Incorporation

The difference between an appellate court and a district court is that an appellate court

• conducts trials by jury

• has original jurisdiction

• reviews previous court decisions

• hears civil cases but not criminal cases

Which of the following best defines the term "judicial activism"?

• The tendency of judges to interpret the Constitution according to their own views

• The demands on judges to hear large numbers of cases

• The attempts by judges to influence election outcomes

• The efforts of judges to lobby Congress for funds

Which of the following United States Court cases established the principle of judicial review?

• McCulloch v. Maryland

• Marbury v. Madison

• Gibbons v. Ogden

• Roe v. Wade

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of a case being decided based on precedent?

• The Supreme Court bases its decision in a case involving the commerce clause on one of its earlier decisions involving the commerce clause.

• The Supreme Court overturns a lower court decision in a case dealing with voter identification laws

• A state passes a law which contradicts federal law, causing the Supreme Court to rule in favor of the federal government.

• The chief justice of the Supreme Court disagrees with the majority of the other justices and decides to declare a law passed by Congress as unconstitutional.

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

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

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

When a Supreme Court justice writes a document that agrees with the conclusion but not the reasoning of the majority opinion, he or she is writing a:

• written opinion

• concurring opinion

• dissenting opinion

• partial opinion

When a Supreme Court justice writes a document that disagrees with the majority opinion, he or she is writing a:

• written opinion

• concurring opinion

• partial opinion

• dissenting opinion

The announcement of the court's decision in a case that sets out the reasoning on which it is based is known as

• concurring opinion

• dissenting opinion

• a press conference is held to discuss the ruling

• opinion of the court

A court's power to hear and decide a case before any appellate review is known as

• Dissenting jurisdiction

• Original jurisdiction

• Appellate jurisdiction

• Concurring jurisdiction