Question 1

A "certiorari pool" describes the

Accepted Answer

A)   computerized lottery system by which the Supreme Court selects its cases each year.
B)   practice by which Supreme Court law clerks work together to evaluate each petition.
C)   method used to appoint the chief justice.
D)   nickname for the water fountain in the courtyard of the Supreme Court building.
E)   pool of applicants seeking appointment to the federal judiciary.F) B) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 2

Which of the following was not a case involving the Supreme Court overturning a state law?

Accepted Answer

A)   Marbury v.Madison
B)   Brown v.Board of Education
C)   Griswold v.Connecticut
D)   Loving v.Virginia
E)   Brandenburg v.OhioF) A) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 3

The size of the U.S.Supreme Court is set by

Accepted Answer

A)   the U.S.Constitution.
B)   Congress.
C)   a national convention.
D)   the American Bar Association.
E)   the president.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 4

Approximately what percentage of all court cases in the United States are heard in federal courts?

Accepted Answer

A)   1 percent
B)   5 percent
C)   10 percent
D)   30 percent
E)   55 percentF) D) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 5

Write an essay analyzing the exercise of judicial review.What is judicial review,what are its origins,and why is it often so controversial? What is the significance of Marbury v.Madison? Give some examples of notable uses of judicial review in Supreme Court history.

Accepted Answer

Judicial review is the power of the cour...

Question 6

In which type of case does the Supreme Court have original jurisdiction?

Accepted Answer

A)   any case involving the Constitution
B)   any case involving an ambassador
C)   any case involving the president
D)   any case it wants to take up
E)   any case involving a member of CongressF) All of the above
G) B) and D)

Question 7

What is the main function of the chief justice of the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

A)   The chief justice decides what cases will be heard by the full Court each term.
B)   The chief justice always writes the Court's majority opinions.
C)   The chief justice presides over the Court's public sessions and private conferences.
D)   The chief justice is also the constitutional adviser to the president.
E)   The chief justice is the constitutional adviser to Congress.F) D) and E)
G) None of the above

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

A)   stare decisis
B)   habeas corpus
C)   lex talions
D)   ex post facto
E)   a prioriF) A) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 9

The process of confirming federal court appointments has recently become contentious.Describe the steps to becoming a federal judge.Why has this process become so controversial in recent years? Describe some examples of this conflict in the confirmation process.

Accepted Answer

The process of becoming a federal judge ...

Question 10

The issue of employer liability for employee injuries sustained at work illustrates that

Accepted Answer

A)   there are certain areas of law that courts are not allowed to rule on.
B)   civil laws can only be passed through state legislatures and cannot be constructed through judicial decisions.
C)   many areas of civil law have been constructed by judicial messages to other judges rather than by laws passed by legislatures.
D)   individuals need not have standing to sue in federal court.
E)   mootness is not an important consideration in civil law cases.F) All of the above
G) A) and C)

Question 11

Most cases reach the Supreme Court through the

Accepted Answer

A)   writ of appeal.
B)   writ of certiorari.
C)   writ of habeas corpus.
D)   writ of amicus curiae.
E)   state courts.F) B) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

A)   The federal government does not operate a court system.
B)   Federal courts hear only a small fraction of all of the civil and criminal cases decided each year in the United States,and their decisions are rarely important because they are not allowed to interpret the Constitution or the federal laws that govern all Americans.
C)   Although federal courts hear the vast majority of all civil and criminal cases decided each year in the United States,their decisions are rarely important because they are not allowed to interpret the Constitution or the federal laws that govern all Americans.
D)   Federal courts hear the vast majority of all civil and criminal cases decided each year in the United States,and their decisions are extremely important because they interpret the Constitution and the federal laws that govern all Americans.
E)   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.F) C) and E)
G) B) and E)

Question 13

Fifty percent of lower federal court cases are accepted for review by the courts of appeals.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Original jurisdiction refers to

Accepted Answer

A)   the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
B)   the court with the authority to hear a case first.
C)   the highest court with the power to overrule other courts.
D)   Congress's power to determine what cases the federal courts will hear.
E)   the president's power to appoint federal judges.F) C) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 15

Which of the following is not a traditional limitation on the power of the federal courts?

Accepted Answer

A)   strict rules of standing
B)   the ability of Congress to reduce federal judges' salaries
C)   the inability of the courts to offer relief to whole classes of people
D)   the inability of the courts to enforce their own decisions
E)   the inability of the courts to act on their own initiativeF) B) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 16

When justices agree with the ruling of a court majority but not all of its reasoning,they may often write a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)   dissent.
B)   concurrence.
C)   ex parte.
D)   per curiam.
E)   writ of certiorari.F) A) and D)
G) D) and E)

Question 17

Each Supreme Court justice is assigned ______ clerk(s) .

Accepted Answer

A)   one
B)   four
C)   eight
D)   ten
E)   fifteenF) B) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 18

A person,agency,or interest group not directly a party to a case but with an interest in its outcome may file a(n) ______ brief.

Accepted Answer

A)   certiorari
B)   per curiam
C)   amicus curiae
D)   standing
E)   accompanimentF) None of the above
G) A) and B)

Question 19

In most circumstances,a supreme court is best described as a(n) ______ court.

Accepted Answer

A)   uniform
B)   trial
C)   advisory
D)   appellate
E)   electedF) A) and D)
G) C) and D)

Question 20

When interest groups involved in litigation pursue a pattern-of-cases strategy,they are

Accepted Answer

A)   using legal arguments that have won in the past.
B)   bringing the same type of suit into multiple circuits,hoping that a contradiction in rulings will bring about a Supreme Court review.
C)   shopping around for the district where the likelihood of a favorable decision is highest.
D)   filing multiple friend-of-the-court briefs,in the hope of influencing the legal arguments of the Supreme Court.
E)   filing cases in different courts on the same subject.F) A) and D)
G) A) and E)

Exam 15: The Federal Courts

Most cases reach the Supreme Court through the

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

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The size of the U.S.Supreme Court is set by

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In which type of case does the Supreme Court have original jurisdiction?

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Which of the following is not a traditional limitation on the power of the federal courts?

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What is the main function of the chief justice of the Supreme Court?

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When justices agree with the ruling of a court majority but not all of its reasoning,they may often write a(n)

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Each Supreme Court justice is assigned ______ clerk(s) .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When interest groups involved in litigation pursue a pattern-of-cases strategy,they are

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In most circumstances,a supreme court is best described as a(n) ______ court.

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Fifty percent of lower federal court cases are accepted for review by the courts of appeals.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Approximately what percentage of all court cases in the United States are heard in federal courts?

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The process of confirming federal court appointments has recently become contentious.Describe the steps to becoming a federal judge.Why has this process become so controversial in recent years? Describe some examples of this conflict in the confirmation process.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe process of becoming a federal judge ...View AnswerShow Answer

A "certiorari pool" describes the

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

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Write an essay analyzing the exercise of judicial review.What is judicial review,what are its origins,and why is it often so controversial? What is the significance of Marbury v.Madison? Give some examples of notable uses of judicial review in Supreme Court history.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIJudicial review is the power of the cour...View AnswerShow Answer

Which of the following was not a case involving the Supreme Court overturning a state law?

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A person,agency,or interest group not directly a party to a case but with an interest in its outcome may file a(n) ______ brief.

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The issue of employer liability for employee injuries sustained at work illustrates that

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Original jurisdiction refers to

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The process of becoming a federal judge ...
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Judicial review is the power of the cour...
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