WorksheetsChapter 14 Exam Review
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 15mins
When compared to a justice with a philosophy of judicial restraint, a justice with a philosophy of judicial activism is more likely to
be an originalist.
ignore current societal opinions.
leave policy making to elected officials.
overturn an existing law.
If a justice agrees with the majority’s opinion, but has different reasoning, he or she may issue a
concurring opinion
dissenting opinion.
minority opinion
unanimous ruling
If a law is overturned as being unconstitutional,
a concurring opinion must be issued.
Congress must pass a new law to replace it.
the executive branch must stop enforcing it.
the justices’ ruling must be unanimous.
In the case of Roper v. Simmons, what constitutional right did the Court say was being violated?
a corporation’s right to use its money to support political candidates
an individual’s right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment
an individual’s right to freedom of speech
the federal government’s right to regulate interstate commerce
The Supreme Court’s right to judicial review
allows the Court to issue writs of certiorari
confirms that the Supreme Court can issue advisory opinions
reinforces the importance of the Bill of Rights
was established under Chief Justice John Marshall
Which of the following lists the steps in filling a Supreme Court vacancy?
The individual is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate
The individual is nominated by the Senate and receives the consent of the House
The nominee is questioned by the Senate and then by the Senate Judiciary Committee
The nominee is questioned by the Supreme Court and then by the House
Appellate cases
always involve original jurisdiction
are the least common type of cases that the Supreme Court hears
can come either through the state court systems or the federal court system
typically involve individuals stating that their constitutional rights have been violated
In which of the following cases did the Supreme Court agree with the defendant that he had a constitutional right to a lawyer?
Betts v. Brady
Brandenburg v. Ohio
Gideon v. Wainright
Roper v. Simmons
Why do presidents want nominees from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds?
They want to simplify the justices’ decision-making processes
They think these individuals will be easier to confirm
They think these individuals will have a better educational background
They want the justices to be somewhat representative of the entire country
In McCulloch v. Maryland, Chief Justice John Marshall stated that
states could not interfere with federal actions that were necessary to carrying out its constitutional powers
states could not interfere with individual rights that were protected by the Constitution
the Constitution gave the state governments the right to regulate interstate commerce
the Supreme Court could only hear cases of original jurisdiction
What kind of jurisdiction does the Supreme Court have when hearing a case involving a water rights dispute between two states?
appellate
constitutional
impeachment
original
In order to check the power of the legislative branch, Alexander Hamilton argued that the Supreme Court justices
should be able to amend the Constitution
should be nominated by the Senate
should have limited terms in office
should have the power of judicial review
A pivotal civil liberties case in which the Court was not bound by precedent was
Betts v. Brady
Brown v. Board of Education
Plessy v. Ferguson
Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce
A major criterion the Supreme Court uses when determining whether to hear a case is if
lower courts have interpreted federal law in several different ways
the case does not involve changing societal values
the case involves the impeachment of a government official
the topic has received extensive media coverage
How is a justice who follows judicial restraint likely to be different from an activist?
The justice is less likely to declare an existing law unconstitutional
The justice is less likely to stand on precedent
The justice is less likely to support the principle of stare decisis
The justice is more likely to believe the Constitution is a “living” document
In recent years the Supreme Court has become more representative of the entire country because
most of the justices have been trial lawyers
the justices are all white men or white women
the justices have a wide variety of law school backgrounds
there is a wider variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds
In Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall helped establish
that the federal government had the right to regulate interstate commerce
that the Supreme Court could hear only original jurisdiction cases
the importance of the federal government in protecting individual rights
the Supreme Court’s power to declare laws unconstitutional
If citizens do not like how the Supreme Court interprets part of the Constitution, they can
encourage other citizens to vote the justices out of office
encourage their legislators to remove the justices from the Court
petition the Supreme Court to change its ruling
work to get the Constitution amended
In what way did the Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka demonstrate how a changing society influences Supreme Court decisions?
Freedom of speech became more socially acceptable, even for unpopular opinions.
More people thought everyone had the right to legal representation
More people thought parents should be able to raise their children according to their religious beliefs
Racial segregation in public schools became less socially acceptable
One reason that the justices take a preliminary vote is to
allow the parties more time to present their arguments
decide whether or not they want to rule on the case
discuss their reasoning
listen to the opinions of special interest groups
The Supreme Court decides to take a case when it
grants certiorari
hears the oral arguments
issues an opinion.
takes a preliminary vote
President Andrew Jackson’s refusal to carry out a Court ruling shows that
the Supreme Court depends on the executive branch to enforce its decisions
the Supreme Court depends on the voters to support its decisions
well-reasoned oral arguments are vital to winning a case
without the support of the legislature, Supreme Court decisions can be overturned
An amicus curiae brief can be helpful to the justices because it
encourages the justices to see the case from a states’ rights point of view
explains how the case reached the Supreme Court
presents the viewpoint of a special interest group
summarizes the various outside influences on the Court
The Constitution requires that a Supreme Court justice
be confirmed by the Senate
represent the people
be an experienced lawyer
have U.S. citizenship
Once the Supreme Court reaches a decision in a case,
each side can present its case to the justices
the decision becomes law
the decision can be appealed
the solicitor general can state an opinion
Presidents typically work to nominate individuals who
have different ideological perspectives than the president
have extensive experience as trial lawyers
have personal integrity and professional expertise
will require an extensive confirmation process
The Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson and its later decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka demonstrate
how the Court often decides a case based on precedent
how the definition of cruel and unusual punishment can change over time
that Court decisions can be affected by current societal values on racial integration
the importance the Court places on states’ rights
How is the process for filling a Senate position different from the process for filling a Supreme Court position?
Senators are appointed by the Supreme Court whereas justices are elected by the people
Senators are elected by the legislature whereas justices are nominated by the president
Senators are elected by the people whereas justices are nominated by the president
Senators are nominated by the president whereas justices are elected by the legislature
One important argument in favor of justices continuing to serve life terms is that
anything less than a life term might make the justices vulnerable to political influence
life terms reduce government expenses
serving life terms is an important check on the power of the judicial branch
serving life terms makes it easier for the president to nominate justices who agree with the president’s political philosophy
What is the purpose of the rule of four?
to allow a losing party to appeal a case
to determine whether the Supreme Court will hear a case
to make certain that federal laws are applied uniformly throughout the country
to protect individual liberties under the Bill of Rights
