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WorksheetsThe Judiciary
Total questions: 35
Worksheet time: 42mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Federal District courts were originally set up by:
a)
State Governments
b)
Article III of the Constitution
c)
Congress
d)
1st President (George Washington)
2.
A case in which a person has been accused of breaking a law.
a)
Criminal Case
b)
Federal Case
c)
Civil Case
d)
Corporal Case
3.
District Judges are appointed by ___________ and approved by the Senate.
a)
the State's Governor
b)
the President
c)
the citizens, via a vote
d)
House of Representatives
4.
The court with the authority to hear and decide a case for the first time is said to have:
a)
Jurisdiction
b)
Original Jurisdiction
c)
Premier Jurisdiction
d)
E Pluribus Unum
5.
A court’s authority to hear and decide cases
a)
judicial review
b)
writ of certiorari
c)
jurisdiction
d)
stare decisis
6.
Which of the following has no appellate jurisdiction?
a)
District Court/Trial Court
b)
US Court of Appeals
c)
Supreme Court
7.
A written opinion of the Supreme Court is best defined as
a)
a press release.
b)
advice to the President.
c)
the Court's ruling on the issue presented, its reasoning, and applicable law.
d)
a ruling when it hears oral arguments.
8.
A Supreme Court justice who disagrees with the majority opinion may
a)
ask the Court to hear the case again.
b)
send the case back to a lower court.
c)
write a dissenting opinion.
d)
file an amicus curiae brief.
9.
How does the executive branch "check" the Supreme Court?
a)
appointing members of Congress to committee
b)
appointing Supreme Court justices
c)
appointing members to The Cabinet
d)
appointing The Speaker of the House
10.
Agreement among four justices on the Supreme Court is always sufficent to
a)
decide the outcome of the case
b)
write a majority opinion
c)
set a precedent
d)
accept a case for consideration
11.
A formal acceptance by the Supreme Court to review a decision of a lower court is called ________.
a)
pendit lite
b)
juri prudens
c)
amicus curiae
d)
writ of certiorari
12.
The ________ approves presidential appointments.
a)
Senate
b)
House of Representatives
c)
Vice president
d)
Oracle
13.
Which of the following best describes a precedent?
a)
Any previous ruling issued by the court
b)
The earlier term of the presiding justice
c)
When a prior ruling sets the standard for future rulings of a similar type
d)
The ruling issued by a lower court on the same or similar issue
14.
Appellate courts usually ________.
a)
determine the credibility of the facts of a case
b)
hear only civil cases
c)
hear only criminal cases
d)
review the legal procedures of a case
15.
How does the Supreme Court force government officials to do what it has mandated in a decision?
a)
The Court musters public opinion in favor of its decisions.
b)
The Court threatens to call a constitutional convention in order to increase its power.
c)
The Court can only hope that respect for the law and the Court will be enough to create compliance.
d)
The Court has sweeping powers of enforcement spelled out in the Constitution
16.
Under senatorial courtesy, who has the right to approve or deny a president’s nomination for district court?
a)
The senior senator of the president’s party from the state where the district court is located
b)
Either senator from the state where the district court is located
c)
The Senate whip
d)
The Senate majority leader
17.
The authority of a particular court to serve as the place where a case is initially argued is called ________.
a)
original jurisdiction
b)
appellate jurisdiction d. stare decisis
c)
jurisdiction
d)
judicial mandate
18.
The self-imposed limitation on judicial power by judges deferring to the policy judgments of elected branches of government is called ________.
a)
Judicial restraint
b)
Original intent
c)
Judicial activism
d)
Self-imposition
19.
A judicial activist believes that ________.
a)
court rulings can expand the meaning of the Constitution
b)
court rulings should have to be approved by more than one judge before becoming law
c)
the courts have final say over whether a law is constitutional
d)
federal law takes precedence over the states
20.
The Supreme Court's opinion is best described as ________.
a)
Appeals court
b)
Probate court
c)
A document written to explain the Court's decision
d)
Family court
21.
Aside from presiding over the conference, the position of Supreme Court Chief Justice ________.
a)
breaks the tie in a split decisions
b)
is the only one on the Supreme Court with a lifetime tenure
c)
assigns who will write the Court’s opinion and can choose to write it him/herself
d)
signs off on any Amendments to the Constitution
22.
(1963) The state's refusal to appoint counsel for an indigent accused of non-capital felony violated due process clause.
a)
Gideon v. Wainwright
b)
Gibbons v. Ogden
c)
Engle v. Vitale
d)
Brandenburg v. Ohio
23.
(1803) Established the "very essence of judicial duty" in deciding what laws conform to the Constitution - judicial review
a)
Marbury v. Madison
b)
McCulloch v. Maryland
c)
Miranda v. Arizona
d)
Near v. Minnesota
24.
Which represents a major reason for the submission of an amicus curiae brief?
a)
The Court must rely on precedent cases
b)
A friend of the court wishes to provide additional information to the Court
c)
Lower courts must provide transcripts of its decision
d)
The Supreme Court requires related interests in the case to submit briefs
25.
The Court of which of the following Chief Justices handed down the most activist decisions?
a)
Salmon Chase
b)
William Rehnquist
c)
Earl Warren
d)
Roger Taney
26.
Critics of judicial activism would favor a Supreme Court that would
a)
Give greater protection to the accused
b)
Expand civil rights
c)
Act as a watchdog over the other branches of government
d)
Increase the power of the federal government
27.
Using the power of judicial review, the Supreme Court can do all of the following EXCEPT
a)
Declare a law passed by Congress unconstitutional
b)
Declare a law passed by a state unconstitutional
c)
Determine the meaning and application of the Constitution
d)
Overturn a Constitutional amendment as a violation of civil rights
28.
Justice Clarence Thomas believes that the Constitution should be interpreted according to its clear language. This judicial philosophy can best be described as:
a)
Strict construction
b)
Judicial Activism
c)
Conservatism
d)
Constitutionalism
29.
National supremacy over the states was expanded by the Supreme Court in cases involving all of the following issues EXCEPT
a)
Railroad regulations issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission
b)
Creation of a national bank
c)
Laws regulating wages and hours
d)
State laws regarding marriage and divorce
30.
All of the following make it difficult to get a case to the Supreme Court EXCEPT
a)
The Supreme Court does not take all cases
b)
Appeals cost money for lawyers and paperwork
c)
By the time a case gets to the Supreme Court, the case had already gone through an expensive trial and appeals process
d)
The government does not supply lawyers for the appeals court process
31.
Which of the following statements best describes the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court?
a)
The court is exclusively a court of appellate jurisdiction
b)
The court’s jurisdiction is mostly appellate, but it had original jurisdiction in a few specified types of cases
c)
The court is exclusively a court of original jurisdiction
d)
Most of the Court’s cases come directly from trial courts
32.
In order to file a lawsuit, what must the litigant possess?
a)
writ of habeas corpus
b)
writ of certiorari
c)
an injunction
d)
standing
33.
Deciding a case based upon the rulings of similar past cases is following which principle?
a)
stare decisis
b)
appellate jurisdiction
c)
original jurisdiction
d)
habeas corpus
34.
The
Bush Administration filed briefs in the affirmative action cases brought by college applicants against the University of Michigan. What is the best description of these briefs?
a)
Amicus curiae
b)
stare decisis
c)
per curiam
d)
reply briefs
35.
The most powerful source of control that Congress has over the federal court is
a)
to change the number of judges
b)
decide their jurisdiction
c)
refuse to confirm presidential appointments
d)
propose constitutional amendments.
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