Judicial Decisions

The "high tide" of Judicial Activism was between the 1950's and the _______.

1970s

Which things were reduced by the Judicial Restraint court of Rhenquist?

Affirmative Action, Desegregation, Civil Rights

According to the concept of judicial restraint, courts are not supposed to overturn the decisons of a democratically-elected ____________ in order to make policy.

Congress

Why is a Supreme Court Justice influenced by the opinions of Congress?

Congress can pass a new law to go around the court's decision.

True/False: Political conservatives always favor judicial restraint, and political liberals always favor judicial activism.

False

What is Judicial Activism?

The idea that the courts have a role to play in creating policy, not simply interpreting policy.

Why would a lower federal judge make rulings that the President likes?

They want to be on the Supreme Court, and the President picks the Justices.

Which of the following is a comparison of political ideology?

liberal versus conservative

Historical influences, including precedent and stare decisis can constrain the choices the Justices make. From your reading, what is precedent?

previous court decisions regarding similar issues as the case being heard

What is "Originalism"?

the belief that court decisions should be made based on interpreting the Constitution using the intent of the framers when they wrote it

Historical influences, including precedent and stare decisis can constrain the choices the Justices make. From your reading, what is stare decisis?

the concept of upholding the precedent when deciding an appeal

What is Judicial Restraint?

the idea that the courts should stick closely to precedent and only make small, necessary changes to policy