Chpt. 15

How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court?

9

Each year, the Supreme Court receives about ________ appeals and hears about ________ of them in full court.

9,000; 80

Which Supreme Court nominee was accused of sexual harassment during his confirmation hearing?

Clarence Thomas

The size of the U.S. Supreme Court is set by ________.

Congress

Justices appointed by presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush have moved the Court in a more ____ direction on issues, including affirmative action and abortion.

Conservative

In ____ cases, the government is always the plaintiff.

Criminal

Judicial review was established in the case of

Marbury v. Madison.

Which federal judges are appointed for life?

all Article III judges

When a friend of the court is not a direct party to a case but has a vital interest in its outcome, that person can seek to enter the case by

filing an amicus curiae brief.

Sometimes referred to as "the Great Writ," ____ is guaranteed by the Constitution and can be suspended only in cases of rebellion or invasion.

habeas corpus

What is common law?

law made by judges through their decisions, not through specific statutes

The Constitution gives the Supreme Court ____ jurisdiction in cases involving foreign ambassadors and issues in which a state is a party.

original

In criminal matters, MOST cases are settled before trial through negotiated agreements between the parties. This is known as

plea bargain

The chief justice of the Supreme Court

presides over the Court's public sessions and private conferences.

What is the name for the practice whereby the president, before formally nominating a person for a federal judgeship, seeks the indication that senators from the candidate's own state support the nomination?

senatorial courtesy

Because the Supreme Court has so much influence over American law and politics, virtually all presidents have made an effort to select justices who

share their political philosophies.

The top government lawyer in all cases before the Supreme Court where the government is a party is the

solicitor general.

Original jurisdiction is

the authority to initially consider a case, whether in state or federal cases.

If a man is arrested because his home was searched by police without a legal warrant, he could argue in court that he had been denied ________.

the due process of law

The "strict constructionists" on the Supreme Court are generally committed to

the principle of judicial restraint.