Question 1

Which of the following Supreme Court justices was appointed during the Clinton administration?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sandra Day O'Connor
B)  Clarence Thomas
C)  Ruth Bader Ginsburg
D)  Robert Bork
E)  John Paul StevensF) B) and C)
G) A) and B)

Question 2

Senatorial courtesy refers to the tradition whereby

Accepted Answer

A)  nominees for federal judgeships are treated with respect during Senate confirmation hearings,even by senators who plan to vote against the nominee.
B)  senators usually defer to the president's choice of Supreme Court nominees.
C)  senators are consulted on the nomination of lower-court federal judgeships in their state.
D)  nominations for the federal courts,once committee hearings are concluded,are scheduled for a vote ahead of other Senate business.
E)  House members always defer to the Senate on matters dealing with the judiciary.F) B) and D)
G) C) and E) C

Question 3

The power of the Supreme Court is most apparent in its ability to

Accepted Answer

A)  issue advisory opinions when Congress is considering a new bill.
B)  impeach federal judges who consistently ignore its rulings.
C)  declare another institution's action to be unconstitutional.
D)  override any decision of a state court.
E)  issue advisory opinions to the president on a regular basis.F) B) and E)
G) A) and C)

Question 4

When asked if he had made any mistakes as president,________ replied,"Yes,two,and they are both sitting on the Supreme Court".

Accepted Answer

A)  Ronald Reagan
B)  Jimmy Carter
C)  Richard Nixon
D)  Lyndon Johnson
E)  Dwight EisenhowerF) C) and D)
G) A) and B)

Question 5

The appointment of federal judges is influenced most substantially by

Accepted Answer

A)  partisanship.
B)  logrolling.
C)  pork barreling.
D)  affirmative action.
E)  personal friendships.F) D) and E)
G) A) and E) A

Question 6

Compared with the decision in a Supreme Court case,the opinion is more significant because it

Accepted Answer

A)  determines the losing party in a case and the penalty to be imposed on this party.
B)  reveals the conflicts between the justices,which the president and Congress can use in determining their position on judicial appointments and new legislation.
C)  informs others of the Court's interpretation of the laws and thereby guides their decisions.
D)  addresses the constitutional aspects of a case,whereas the decision addresses the statutory aspects.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) All of the above
G) B) and E)

Question 7

According to the Constitution,the federal courts can issue a decision only

Accepted Answer

A)  in response to actual legal cases.
B)  in cases where the U.S.government is one of the parties involved in the dispute.
C)  on cases heard previously by a state court and appealed by the losing party.
D)  in cases where the U.S.government is one of the parties involved in the dispute,and where the cases were heard previously by a state court and appealed by the losing party.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) A) and E)
G) A) and D) A

Question 8

A concurring opinion

Accepted Answer

A)  explains the chief justice's position on a case.
B)  is a separate view written by a justice who votes with the majority but disagrees with its reasoning.
C)  is delivered when the Court interprets a constitutional issue.
D)  is delivered when at least two justices,but less than a majority,hold the same opinion in a case.
E)  explains why the Court accepted the case in the first place.F) A) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 9

Although federal district courts are theoretically bound by Supreme Court precedents,they sometimes deviate because

Accepted Answer

A)  the facts of a case are seldom precisely the same as those of similar cases decided by the Supreme Court.
B)  federal judges may misunderstand the Court's judicial reasoning or position.
C)  ambiguities or unaddressed issues in Supreme Court rulings give lower courts some flexibility in deciding cases.
D)  of all these factors: the facts of a case are seldom precisely the same as those of similar cases decided by the Supreme Court;federal judges may misunderstand the Court's judicial reasoning or position;and ambiguities or unaddressed issues in the Court's rulings give lower courts some flexibility in deciding cases.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) C) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 10

The facts of a case

Accepted Answer

A)  are largely irrelevant,in that the judiciary has wide freedom with decisions.
B)  affect which law or laws will apply to the case.
C)  are important only if the case involves a statutory dispute.
D)  are important only if the case involves a constitutional dispute.
E)  are important about 50 percent of the time.F) All of the above
G) C) and D)

Question 11

The United States has two court systems,state and federal.The federal system

Accepted Answer

A)  has discretionary jurisdiction over all cases arising in the state system.
B)  is the only one with appellate courts.
C)  is the only one based on the constitutional doctrine of the separation of powers.
D)  is the only one that has judges who are appointed to office.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) None of the above
G) B) and C)

Question 12

The merit plan applies to ________ in the ________ court system.

Accepted Answer

A)  selection of judges;federal
B)  selection of judges;state
C)  jurisdiction;federal
D)  jurisdiction;state
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) C) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 13

Compared to Supreme Court nominations,those for the lower federal courts

Accepted Answer

A)  are,although much greater in number,irrelevant to a president's policy agenda.
B)  are not subject to partisan consideration.
C)  have typically involved nominees who held elective office,particularly a seat in the U.S.Senate.
D)  are not subject to senatorial courtesy.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) A) and C)
G) B) and C)

Question 14

The federal district courts

Accepted Answer

A)  are the chief trial courts of the federal system.
B)  are the only federal courts where the two sides present their case to a jury for a verdict.
C)  are the courts that,in practice,make the final decision in most federal cases.
D)  exist in each state.
E)  All these answers are correct.F) C) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 15

________ was the first black justice to serve on the U.S.Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

A)  Clarence Thomas
B)  Antonin Scalia
C)  Robert Bork
D)  Thurgood Marshall
E)  Laurence TribeF) B) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 16

Of the thirteen U.S.courts of appeals,

Accepted Answer

A)  all thirteen are assigned geographically to groups of states to deal with disputes over state laws.
B)  one is devoted to issues involving military tribunals and the District of Columbia.
C)  five have jurisdiction over disputes involving foreign territories or countries and the District of Columbia.
D)  eleven have jurisdiction over a "circuit" comprised of the district courts in anywhere from three to five states.
E)  three are devoted to dealing with disputes involving the overlapping contradiction between state and federal laws.F) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 17

With regard to the lower courts,the Supreme Court's primary responsibility is

Accepted Answer

A)  establishing legal precedents that will guide their decisions.
B)  correcting any technical mistakes the lower courts make in the cases they hear.
C)  settling jurisdictional disputes among federal judges.
D)  settling jurisdictional disputes between state and federal judges.
E)  All these answers are correct.F) B) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 18

In selecting judges,the states rely on what method?

Accepted Answer

A)  political appointment
B)  competitive elections of a partisan nature
C)  competitive elections of a nonpartisan nature
D)  merit selection
E)  All these answers are correct.F) All of the above
G) B) and C)

Question 19

The laws applicable to a case

Accepted Answer

A)  reveal the relevant circumstances of the case,and are determined solely by trial courts.
B)  are more important than the facts of a case,and supersede the facts when the two conflict.
C)  constrain the judiciary,because court decisions must be based on applicable laws.
D)  apply only in the area of criminal cases and not in the area of civil disputes.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) A) and C)
G) C) and D)

Question 20

Regarding Supreme Court procedures,which one of the following statements is NOT accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  When part of the majority,the chief justice decides which justice will write the majority opinion.
B)  A concurring opinion is a view written by a justice who votes with the majority and agrees with its reasoning.
C)  A dissenting opinion is an opinion of a judge who votes against the majority.
D)  Attorneys who argue a case before the Supreme Court operate under strict time limits.
E)  The Court has broad standards in choosing the cases it will hear.F) A) and E)
G) B) and D)

Exam 14: The Federal Judicial System: Applying the Law

Which of the following Supreme Court justices was appointed during the Clinton administration?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Senatorial courtesy refers to the tradition whereby

Correct AnswerverifiedC

The power of the Supreme Court is most apparent in its ability to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When asked if he had made any mistakes as president,________ replied,"Yes,two,and they are both sitting on the Supreme Court".

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The appointment of federal judges is influenced most substantially by

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Compared with the decision in a Supreme Court case,the opinion is more significant because it

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to the Constitution,the federal courts can issue a decision only

Correct AnswerverifiedA

A concurring opinion

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Although federal district courts are theoretically bound by Supreme Court precedents,they sometimes deviate because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The facts of a case

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The United States has two court systems,state and federal.The federal system

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The merit plan applies to ________ in the ________ court system.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Compared to Supreme Court nominations,those for the lower federal courts

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The federal district courts

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________ was the first black justice to serve on the U.S.Supreme Court.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Of the thirteen U.S.courts of appeals,

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

With regard to the lower courts,the Supreme Court's primary responsibility is

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In selecting judges,the states rely on what method?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The laws applicable to a case

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Regarding Supreme Court procedures,which one of the following statements is NOT accurate?

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A

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A

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The merit plan applies to in the court system.

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