GOV1 Ch. 12 Quiz

How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court?

9

There are ______ US district courts.

94

About ______ percent of all cases in the US are heard in state courts.

97

Which of the following statements about federal courts is most accurate?

Although the federal courts hear only a small fraction of all the civil and criminal cases decided each year in the US, their decisions are extremely important because they interpret the Constitution and federal laws that govern all Americans.

Which of the following statements about the Supreme Court is true?

In 2014, 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.

Most cases reach the Supreme Court through

a writ of certiorari

Roe v. Wade (1973) was

base on judicial activism

When a private individual brings a suit against a company for breaking a contract, this is an example of ________ law.

civil

In what type of law is the government always the plaintiff?

criminal

Trial courts in the federal judicial system are called

district courts

Activists judges believe that federal judges should

go beyond the words of a constitution or statute to consider the broader societal implications of their decisions.

If someone is an advocate of the philosophy of judicial restraint, he or she believes

in looking only at the words of the Constitution in order to understand its meaning.

Through the exercise of ________, the Supreme Court has held actions or laws of the executive and legislative branches unconstitutional.

judicial review

______ occurs when a criminal case is resolved through a negotiated agreement before a full trial is completed.

plea bargain

Prior cases whose principles are used by judges to decide current cases are called

precedents

The doctrine of _______ requires courts to follow authoritative prior decisions when ruling on a case.

stare decisis

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

A writ of habeas corpus declares that

the government must show a legal cause for holding someone in detention.

The first court to hear a case is called a(n) ________ court.

trial