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The US Judicial Branch

Total questions: 50

Worksheet time: 1hrs 26mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The ability of the courts to determine congressional laws or presidential actions unconstitutional is known as

a)

Judicial agreement

b)

Judicial review

c)

Judicial veto

d)

Judicial action

2.

What article of the Constitution lays out the format and rules of the Judicial Branch?

a)

Article I

b)

Article II

c)

Article III

d)

Article IV

3.

Which Supreme Court case established judicial review?

a)

Marbury v. Madison

b)

Brown v. Board

c)

U.S. v. Nixon

d)

Gideon v. Wainwright

4.

A court that hears a case first is said to have which type of jurisdiction?

a)

concurring jurisdiction

b)

appellate jurisdiction

c)

original jurisdiction

d)

sole jurisdiction

5.

What is the only court mentioned in the Constitution?

a)

Circuit Courts

b)

District Courts

c)

Supreme Court

d)

Trial Courts

6.

The fact that both federal and state governments share the power to establish courts exemplifies which Constitutional principle?

a)

Checks and Balances

b)

Innocent until proven guilty

c)

Federalism

d)

Majority rules, minority rights

7.

The fact that both federal and state governments share the power to establish courts exemplifies which Constitutional principle?

a)

Checks and Balances

b)

Innocent until proven guilty

c)

Federalism

d)

Majority rules, minority rights

8.

Which federal court hears most original cases?

a)

Circuit Courts

b)

District Courts

c)

Supreme Court

d)

Appellate Courts

9.

What type of jurisdiction do circuit courts have?

a)

original

b)

concurring

c)

appellate

d)

both original and appellate

10.

What type of jurisdiction does the Supreme Court have?

a)

appellate

b)

original

c)

concurring

d)

original and appellate

11.

Supreme Court justices apply past precedent to current cases when appropriate, thus following through with which principle?

a)

Stare Decisis

b)

Writ of Certiorari

c)

Judicial restraint

d)

Judicial activism

12.

How many Supreme Court justices must agree to hear a case?

a)

3

b)

4

c)

5

d)

all of them

13.

Before the Supreme Court hears oral arguments, both parties must submit these, which are written statements citing their arguments/legal precedents.

a)

Thesis paper

b)

Judicial reports

c)

Briefs

d)

Official complaint

14.

Interest groups may try to influence the courts by filing these types of briefs.

a)

Amicus Curiae

b)

writ of certiorari

c)

stare decisis

d)

Litmus test

15.

Justices who aim to correct social wrongs and consider future ramifications of court decisions usually adhere to which type of judicial philosophy?

a)

Judicial Retraint

b)

Judicial Activism

16.

Justices who believe the Constitution should be interpreted according to the Founder's original intent adhere to which philosophy?

a)

Judicial Retraint

b)

Judicial Activism

17.

A U.S. president will often examine a justices record and evaluate their ideological stances before appointing them to the bench. What do we call this type of test?

a)

Political Ideology Test

b)

Civics Exam

c)

Litmus Test

d)

a Writ of Certiorari

18.

If the Supreme Court decides to hear a case, they will grant this, an order to a lower court to send up the case files.

a)

Stare Decisis

b)

Writ of Certiorari

c)

Amicus Curiae Brief

d)

Court order

19.

Of the 8,000 to 10,000 petitions the court receives, how many cases will likely be heard by the Supreme Court?

a)

Less than 100

b)

150 - 200

c)

250

d)

500

20.

Who is the head of the Supreme Court?

a)

Speaker of the House

b)

Vice President

c)

President pro temp

d)

Chief Justice

21.

What type of opinion sets the legal precedent for a case?

a)

Majority opinion

b)

Concurring Opinion

c)

Dissenting Opinion

22.

if a justice agrees with the majority opinion, but for different reasons, he/she would write which type of opinion?

a)

Majority opinion

b)

Concurring opinion

c)

Dissenting opinion

23.

How many justices sit on the Supreme Court?

a)

3

b)

7

c)

8

d)

9

24.

Who is the current Chief Justice?

a)

Paul Ryan

b)

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

c)

John Roberts

d)

Judge Judy

25.

A justice who disagrees with the decision of the court may write what kind of an opinion?

a)

Majority opinion

b)

Dissenting Opinion

c)

Concurring Opinion

26.

A justice who disagrees with the decision of the court may write what kind of an opinion?

a)

Majority opinion

b)

Dissenting Opinion

c)

Concurring Opinion

27.

Which two parties are involved in the appointment of federal judges?

a)

President and the House of Representatives

b)

Senate and the House of Representatives

c)

President and the Supreme Court

d)

President and the Senate

28.

How many women currently serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?

a)

1

b)

3

c)

4

d)

0

29.

How can a judge be forcibly removed from the bench?

a)

voted out by other members of the court

b)

fired by the President

c)

impeached

d)

executive order

30.

Which individual represents the U.S. in the majority of Supreme Court cases?

a)

Speaker of the House

b)

Solicitor General

c)

Chief Justice

d)

Attorney General

31.
This case established the policy of judicial review
a)
Brown vs. Board of Education
b)
Tinker vs. Des Moines
c)
Marbury vs. Madison
d)
Morse v. Frederick
32.

This case ended segregation in public schools

a)

Plessy vs. Ferguson

b)

Brown vs. Board of Education

c)

New Jersey v. T.L.O.

d)

Bethel School District v. Fraser

33.
This case created separate but equal facilities and encouraged segregation
a)
Brown vs. Board of Education
b)
Plessy vs. Ferguson
c)
Dred Scott v. Sandford
d)
Korematsu v. U.S.
34.
This case said the courts had to provide lawyers for those who can't afford one
a)
Mapp v. Ohio
b)
Terry v. Ohio
c)
Gideon vs. Wainwright
d)
Miranda v. Arizona
35.
This case advocated free speech in the schools in the form of an anti-war protest
a)
Tinker vs. Des Moines
b)
Gideon vs. Wainwright
c)
Mapp vs. Ohio
d)
Morse v. Frederick
36.
This case guaranteed certain rights for individuals being arrested
a)
Marbury vs. Madison
b)
Tinker vs. Des Moines
c)
Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier
d)
Miranda vs. Arizona 
37.
This decision allowed for women to have abortions
a)
Roe vs. Wade
b)
Griswold v. Connecticut
c)
Mapp v. Ohio
d)
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
38.
The power of judicial review means that the Supreme Court can ...
a)
declare laws passed by Congress or actions of the president unconstitutional
b)
review the Constitution and make laws
c)
review the Constitution and veto laws
d)
impeach a president or member of Congress for doing something unconstitutional
39.
This court case allowed school principals the authority to censor school publications
a)
Tinker v. Des Moines
b)
Cooper v. Aaron
c)
Board of Ed. v. Earls
d)
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
40.
Voted against public prayer and Bible readings in school
a)
Board of Ed. v. Earls
b)
Engel v. Vitale
c)
Brown v. Board of Education
d)
Plessy v. Ferguson
41.

Schools only need reasonable suspicion (not a warrant) to search students. This is necessary to provide a safe learning environment.

a)

Bethal School District v. Fraser

b)

Gideon v. Wainwright

c)

Tinker v. Des Moines

d)

TLO v. New Jersey

42.
In this case the court ruled the policy of any institution using quotas (a predetermined number) as part of affirmative action to be unconstitutional. In other words, institutions are not allowed to use race or gender quotas for hiring or acceptance practices.
a)
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
b)
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
c)
Grutter v. Bollinger
d)
Roe v. Wade
43.
During WWII, the Supreme Court ruled that relocation of Japanese-American citizens to internment camps was constitutional. Over 40 years later, it was officially admitted that this ruling was in violation of the concept of limited government.
a)
Korematsu v. US
b)
University of California v. Bakke
c)
Roe v. Wade
d)
Gideon v. Wainwright
44.
1857 ruling declared slaves are property and not citizens and it nullified the Missouri Compromise.
a)
Dred Scott v Sandford
b)
McCulloch v Maryland
c)
Engel v. Vitale
d)
Grutter v. Bollinger
45.

Which 1819 established the supremacy of the national government and gave the US Supreme Court the right to declare the laws and actions of state governments "unconstitutional?"

a)

Schenck v. U.S.

b)

Marbury v. Madison

c)

McCulloch v. Maryland

d)

Texas v. Johnson

46.

What case held that free speech that resulted in a "clear & present danger" could be punished?

a)

Schenck v. U.S.

b)

Texas v. Johnson

c)

Cooper v. Aaron

d)

Plessy v. Ferguson

47.

Who was the first woman to serve on the US Supreme Court?

a)

Sonia Sotomayor

b)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

c)

Sandra Day O'Conner

d)

Madeline Albright

48.

Following Furman v. Georgia which halted the death penalty, which case reinstated the death penalty under new standards?

a)

Gregg v. Georgia

b)

Engel v. Vitale

c)

Miranda v. Arizona

d)

Johnson v. Texas

49.

Which of the following Supreme Court cases ruled that state laws prohibiting interracial marriages are unconstitutional?

a)

Furman v. Georgia

b)

Mapp v. Ohio

c)

Loving v. Virginia

d)

Johnson v. Texas

50.

Who was the first African American to serve on the US Supreme Court?

a)

Clarence Thomas

b)

Colin Powell

c)

Thurgood Marshall

d)

W.E.B. DuBois