Civics

If a justice disagrees with a decision, he or she can issue a concurring opinion.

False

If an interest group wants to explain to the Supreme Court why a case should be decided in a particular way, the group can submit a writ of certiorari.

False

In one of the Federalist papers, Alexander Hamilton argued that the Supreme Court should have the right to determine whether laws are constitutional.

False

The Constitution says that a Supreme Court justice must be at least 35 years of age.

False

The Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction in those cases involving representatives of foreign governments.

False

The Supreme Court's primary function is to settle disputes among the states.

False

The president nominates Supreme Court justices, but the Senate elects other federal judges.

False

amicus curiae

Latin for "friend of the court", a written brief from an individual or group claiming to have information useful to a court's consideration of a case

By assigning a southerner to write the Court's opinion for a voter discrimination case, the Supreme Court demonstrated its awareness of public opinion.

True

Confirmation of Supreme Court nominees typically takes longer today than in the past.

True

The Supreme Court took on the case of Clarence Gideon in order to determine whether his constitutional rights had been violated.

True

Today's justices are more representative of the country as a whole than in the past.​

True

When considering what cases to hear, the Supreme Court often chooses those in which courts have interpreted federal laws differently.​

True

When hearing a case, the Supreme Court does not hear testimony from witnesses.

True

dissenting opinion

a document issued by judges who disagree with the majority opinion

appellate litigatio

a lawsuit occurring at the appeals level of the court system

Supreme Court Justice

a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the nation

advisory opinion

a ruling on a law that has not yet been challenged in court

brief

a written statement setting forth the legal arguments, relevant facts, and precedents supporting one side of a case

clerk

an attorney who reviews petitions to the Supreme Court

writ of certiorari

an order from the Supreme Court to a lower court to send up the records on a case for review

rule of four

an unwritten rule declaring that if four of the nine justices agree to hear a case, it will be scheduled for argument

Because of broad media coverage, a justice's confirmation is no longer contentious.

false

unanimous ruling

issued when the justices all agree on the outcome and the reasons for a decision in a case

majority opinion

states the decision of the court

originalism

the belief that the US Constitution should be interpreted according to the intent of those who composed and adopted it

Judicial restraint

the philosophy that the Supreme Court should avoid taking the imitative on social and political questions

Judical activism

the philosophy that the Supreme Court should play an active role in shaping national policies by addressing social and political issues

concurring opinion

the view expressed by justices who agree with the outcome, but not with all the reasoning

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka illustrates how the Supreme Court can be influenced by changing societal values and beliefs.

True