Ch 6- The Judiciary

A significant constraint to the United States Supreme Court's authority lies in its inability to

• overturn previous Supreme Court rulings
• use previous dissents for future court decisions
• add to their docket emergent cases carrying national consequences
• rely on Congress, the president, or the states to enforce its more unpopular rulings

Which of the following best describes an example of amicus curiae?

• An argument challenging the president's constitutional authority to seize steel mills
• The NAACP's legal brief in support of a black girl's request to attend an all-white school
• The Court's ruling that all persons have the right to a court appointed attorney
• The Court's ruling that burning a United States flag is a protected form of speech

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of judicial restraint and judicial activism?

• A
• B
• C
• D

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of trial and courts of appeals?

• A
• B
• C
• D

Which of the following is an accurate description of Article III Courts?

• Courts created by Congress that help administer and resolve conflicts over specific federal legislation
• Courts created with the power to decide only those cases over which the Constitution gives them authority
• Federal trial courts with mandatory jurisdiction
• Federal courts with mandatory, appellate jurisdiction

Which of the following is the most important source of the Supreme Court's caseload?

• Original jurisdiction
• Cases referred from state supreme courts
• Appellate jurisdiction
• Cases directly referred to the court by the president

The doctrine of stare decisis refers to

• The authority of the Court to declare certain actions by the federal government to be unconstitutional

• A person's right not to be prosecuted a second time for the same crime

• The Court's commitment to applying previous precedents and decisions to a current case

• The power of the higher court to review and, when necessary, overturn a lower court's decision

Based on the information in the chat, which of the following is correct?

• The percentage of women and minority judicial nominees is increasing over time

• Most judicial nominees have law degrees and experience working in government

• African American nominees are more likely to be appointed by Republican presidents than Democratic presidents

• Republican presidents are more likely to appoint female nominees than Democratic presidents

Which is an accurate statement about the data in the table?

• From 1993-2005, Supreme Court justice nominees were confirmed by a supermajority of votes

• From 1954-1963, most Supreme Court justice nominees were not confirmed by the Senate

• President Clinton's Supreme Court nominees were the most controversial of any in the table

• President George W. Bush appointed the most Supreme Court nominees of any in the table