What kind of cases makes up the major part of the Supreme Court’s caseload?

Read the selection and answer the question that follows.

“Limitations [on the power of government] . . . can be preserved in practice in no other way than through . . . courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor [obvious meaning] of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing.”

—Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 78

What significant power did Hamilton foresee for the federal courts?

Approximately how many cases does the U.S. Supreme Court agree to hear every year?

Federal courts of appeals that review rulings from lower federal trial courts and have appellate jurisdiction are called?

The opinion that agrees with the decision reached by the court, but for reasons different from those used to support the majority.

What was the result of President Truman issuing an executive order authorizing the government to take over the steel mills during the Korean War?

Congress checks the power of the President by

Which is an executive agency under the direct control of the President?

Which of the following is an example of a regulatory commission under the executive branch?

Who is charged with establishing the federal courts beneath the Supreme Court?

Which term applies to the 20 permanent committees of the House?

What job does the Constitution assign the vice president of the United States?

Which house of Congress has the power to declare war?

Which house of Congress has the power of advice and consent/approve judicial appointments?

Which house of Congress has the power to bring charges in impeachment?

Which house of Congress has the power to approve treaties?

Which house of Congress has the power to approve the Federal budget?

Which house of Congress has the power to conduct impeachment trials?

The way a society uses scarce resources to satisfy its people's wants is known as

In which of the following might a Republican voter help to choose the Democratic nominee for a public office?

The main task of a national nominating convention is to

A meeting of party members to discuss issues and choose candidates for office is called a

Which way that parties help government can be described as establishing a platform, or a statement of the party’s official stand on major public issues?

Which of the following is one way an amendment to the Constitution can be ratified?

Supporters of the Constitution agreed to add a bill of rights in order to

Which amendment enabled the Supreme Court to rule that much of the Bill of Rights applies to state and local governments through the “incorporation doctrine”?

A major purpose of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments was to

Which of the following is a way that an amendment to the Constitution can be proposed?

Which amendment provided for the direct election of U.S. Senators?

Which amendment guarantees the right to fair trial, must be told what you are being charged with, guaranteed a speedy, public trial by impartial jury, states that you are entitled to a lawyer?

Which amendment protects the rights of citizens accused of a crime, states that you cannot be put on trial without first being indicted, protects against double jeopardy, guarantees that you can’t be forced to testify against yourself (right to remain silent), guarantees due process of law, forbids government from taking property without payment?

Who has the ultimate authority to decide whether or not a federal law or action is constitutional?

The Senate’s power to approve international treaties negotiated by the president is an example of

What did the Framers want to achieve by establishing the principle of federalism in the Constitution?

When delegates gathered in Philadelphia for what became known as the Constitutional Convention what did they intend to do?

When delegates gathered in Philadelphia for what became known as the Constitutional Convention what did they intend to do?

In the U.S. system of federalism what are powers that are shared between the state and federal governments called?

Which system of government is an indirect form of democracy, placing political decision making at least one step away from the people?

Which system of government is represented by the illustration in the center of the graphic?

Which philosopher believed human nature was self-interested, believed government needed to maintain order, people gave up power for safety?

What form of democracy are most democracies in large, industrialized nations?

Magna Carta was originally intended to protect the rights of which group?

The Petition of Right resulted from a conflict between which two groups?

Which document was passed by Parliament in the Glorious Revolution and gave ultimate authority to Parliament?

Why did the colonists resent the taxes imposed by Parliament beginning in 1764?

The U.S. federal system consists of a national government and what other governmental level?

The Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament