Govt 2305 Quiz #9
The number of cases filed in the Supreme Court
. has increased dramatically since 1940
There are ________ circuits in the U.S. Court of Appeals.
13
In all of American history, the Supreme Court has concluded that fewer than ________ acts of Congress have directly violated the Constitution.
160
Under normal rules of oral argument, each lawyer has ________ to present his or her case before the Supreme Court.
30 minutes
There are approximately ________ federal district court judges in the United States.
678
There are ________ U.S. district courts.
94
More than ________ percent of all cases in the United States are heard in state courts.
97
________ occurs when a criminal case is resolved through a negotiated agreement before a full trial is completed
A plea bargain
Which of the following statements about federal courts is MOST accurate?
Although the federal courts hear only a small fraction of all of the civil and criminal cases decided each year in the United States, their decisions are extremely important because they interpret the Constitution and the federal laws that govern all Americans.
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
In what type of law is the government always the plaintiff?
Criminal
Which of the following statements about state and federal court procedures is MOST accurate?
Federal courts are required to provide a grand jury, a 12-member trial jury, and a unanimous jury verdict while state courts are not.
Which of the following statements about the Supreme Court is true?
In 2017, five of the nine justices were appointed by Republican presidents.
Why is Marbury v. Madison (1803) an important case?
In this case, the justices authorized the Supreme Court to exercise judicial review over laws passed by Congress.
In a typical tort case,
One individual charges that he or she has been injured by another's negligence or malfeasance
The ________ is established by the Constitution and cannot be abolished by a congressional law.
Supreme Court
What is the main function of the chief justice of the Supreme Court?
The chief justice presides over the Court's public sessions and private conferences.
Why has partisan conflict surrounded federal judicial appointments in recent years?
The federal courts play an important role in shaping American law and politics.
Which of the following best describes the role of the solicitor general?
The solicitor general is the lawyer who represents the United States before the Supreme Court in cases where the federal government is a party.
Which of the following statements best describes the formal requirements of serving as a federal court judge?
There are no formal requirements to serve as a federal court judge.
Which kind of case would NOT be granted certiorari under Rule 10 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the United States?
a case about the governor of California's authority to use the line item veto when the state trial court and the state Supreme Court have reached different conclusions regarding the governor's actions
Which of the following would the Supreme Court likely refuse to hear because of "mootness"?
a case involving a student who was first rejected but then, later, admitted to a state-run university suing that university for discrimination in the admissions process
Which of the following cases would always be heard in federal court?
a case involving the state of New York suing the state of New Hampshire over state highway maintenance
Most cases reach the Supreme Court through
a writ of certiorari.
In recent years, federal court appointments have
been characterized by intense partisan and ideological efforts to support ordefeat the candidate.
When interest groups use a "pattern of cases" strategy, they
bring the same type of suit in more than one circuit in the hopes that inconsistent treatment by two different courts will improve the chance of a Supreme Court review.
When a private individual brings a suit against a company for breaking a contract, this is an example of ________ law.
civil
Trial courts in the federal judicial system are called
district courts.
The assignment of the opinion in a Supreme Court case is
important because differences in wording and emphasis can have important implications for how the decision is interpreted in future litigation.
Roe v. Wade is a good example of
judicial activism, because it was based on a constitutional right to privacy that is not found in the actual words of the Constitution.
Through the exercise of ________, the Supreme Court has held actions or laws of the executive and legislative branches unconstitutional.
judicial review
Prior cases whose principles are used by judges to decide current cases are called
precedents
What is the most frequent and best-known action of Supreme Court justices in their role as circuit justices?
reviewing requests for stays of execution
The doctrine of ________ requires courts to follow authoritative prior decisions when ruling on a case.
stare decisis
What did the framers call the "least dangerous branch" of American government?
the Supreme Court
The solicitor general is the
third-ranking official in the Department of Justice.
Medical malpractice suits are good examples of ________ cases.
tort
The first court to hear a criminal case involving a violation of state law is called a(n) ________ court.
trial
When O.J. Simpson faced a criminal trial in Los Angeles for two counts of murder, the plaintiff(s)
was the state of California.