Ch. 9

Which of the following types of law always apply only to the executive branch of the federal government?

An executive order

_________ prohibit specific behavior that the government believes to be harmful to the public; violation can lead to incarceration.

Criminal laws

Which of the following statements is true about the dual court system?

Most cases are heard in the state courts.

In the Senate confirmation process of Supreme Court judges, the largest role is played by the

Senate Judiciary Committee.

Which of the following is not a statutory law?

The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

A violation of civil law is called

a tort.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture law on how much coloring or other additives can be in food is an example of _____ law.

administrative

In a comparison of the treatment of blacks and whites in the American justice system,

blacks are more likely to be arrested, more likely to go to jail, and get harsher sentences than whites.

The legal system that is applied uniformly and based on the accumulated rulings of judges over time is called the _____ law tradition.

common

The significance of Marbury v. Madison is that it

established judicial review.

The Rule of Four is significant to the balance of power among Supreme Court justices because it

gives some power to the minority on the Court.

The U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals are arranged

in twelve circuits covering the District of Columbia and geographical groupings of states.

The significance of a common law tradition to the U.S. legal system is that

it is the basis for the U.S. legal system.

Decisions of the U.S. Circuit Courts are made by

panels of three judges.

Because of Chief Justice John Marshall's ruling in Marbury v. Madison, the

power of the Court vastly increased.

"Stare decisis" is the Latin term that refers to the practice of relying on

precedent.

The existence of procedural laws in the U.S. court system shows the founders' commitment to

preventing government tyranny.

A law that prevents illegally obtained evidence from being used in court, according to the text, is a _____ law.

procedural

The power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws is called judicial

review.

A law that makes it illegal to use steroids is an example of _____ law.

substantive

A mandatory seatbelt law is an example of _____ law.

substantive

Laws whose actual content defines what we can and cannot legally do are _____ laws.

substantive

Amicus curiae briefs are significant because

they may influence whether the Supreme Court decides to hear a case.

Senatorial courtesy refers to the

tradition of granting senators considerable influence over federal judicial appointments in their home states.

The court system set up by the founders

was unique at the time.