Question 1

Federal judges are

Accepted Answer

A)  nominated by the president.
B)  confirmed by the U.S.Senate.
C)  appointed for an indefinite period,providing they maintain "good behavior."
D)  all of these: nominated by the president,confirmed by the U.S.Senate,and appointed for an indefinite period providing they maintain "good behavior."
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) None of the above
G) B) and C)

Question 2

A writ of certiorari is

Accepted Answer

A)  a request to a lower court to submit to the Supreme Court a record of the case it has been requested to hear.
B)  the statement explaining the reasoning behind a Supreme Court decision.
C)  the official transcript of Supreme Court proceedings.
D)  a statement from a group not directly involved in a Supreme Court case,indicating the group's opinion on the legal issue at hand.
E)  an application for a waiver of court fees due to indigence.F) B) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 3

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) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 4

The Supreme Court decision in Marbury v.Madison is significant

Accepted Answer

A)  as the first instance of the court ruling on a state matter.
B)  as the first use of judicial activism.
C)  for the establishment of judicial review.
D)  as the first instance of the Court ruling on a disagreement between states.
E)  as the Court's first non-majority opinion.F) C) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 5

What is meant by the term jurisdiction? What is the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction as it applies to the U.S.Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

A court's jurisdiction is its authority ...

Question 6

What role does partisanship play in federal court appointments?

Accepted Answer

Federal judges are political officials w...

Question 7

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 8

Which of the following is a recent trend in the appointment of new federal judges and justices?

Accepted Answer

A)  a higher rate of appointment of judges that have served as political appointees
B)  a lower rate of appointment due to longer serving times of federal judges and justices
C)  an increase in the ease of Senate confirmation
D)  a decrease in partisan reasons for nomination
E)  an increase in the number of federal judges and justices with prior judicial experienceF) A) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 9

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) A) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 10

About ________ percent of the nation's legal cases are decided in state court systems.

Accepted Answer

A)  10
B)  25
C)  50
D)  75
E)  95F) C) and D)
G) A) and B)

Question 11

The judiciary's status as an independent branch of national government depends on judicial review,which grants the judiciary the authority to

Accepted Answer

A)  make political decisions; judges can overturn any congressional or presidential decision they personally dislike.
B)  decide which laws apply to a particular case.
C)  ignore public opinion when making decisions.
D)  invalidate the actions of other institutions when judges believe they have acted unconstitutionally.
E)  strike down certain sections of the Constitution.F) A) and C)
G) D) and E)

Question 12

A written Supreme Court opinion that,in the absence of a majority opinion,represents the reasoning of most of the justices who side with the winning party is a

Accepted Answer

A)  plurality opinion.
B)  concurring opinion.
C)  leading opinion.
D)  prevailing opinion.
E)  per curiam.F) None of the above
G) A) and C)

Question 13

The Supreme Court is most likely to grant a hearing when a case involves which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  an issue of state law as opposed to an issue of federal law
B)  an issue of private law as opposed to an issue of public law
C)  an issue that is being decided inconsistently by the lower courts
D)  the possibility that an innocent person has been wrongly convicted of a crime
E)  an issue dealing with state constitutional lawF) All of the above
G) A) and B)

Question 14

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) B) and E)
G) None of the above

Question 15

A judicial decision that establishes a rule for settling subsequent cases of a similar nature is a

Accepted Answer

A)  writ of certiorari.
B)  landmark decision.
C)  writ of mandamus.
D)  precedent.
E)  writ of error.F) B) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 16

Describe the relationship between the federal and the state court systems.

Accepted Answer

As a consequence of the separation of st...

Question 17

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) A) and B)
G) B) and D)

Question 18

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) D) and E)

Question 19

,which upheld a congressional restriction on free speech,represented the exercise of

Accepted Answer

A)  judicial activism.
B)  judicial restraint.
C)  judicial legitimacy.
D)  appellate jurisdiction.
E)  judicial executive power.F) C) and D)
G) None of the above

Question 20

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) D) and E)
G) A) and D)

Exam 12: The Federal Judicial System: Applying the Law

The facts of a case

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A judicial decision that establishes a rule for settling subsequent cases of a similar nature is a

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

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Federal judges are

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Describe the relationship between the federal and the state court systems.

Correct AnswerverifiedAs a consequence of the separation of st...View AnswerShow Answer

The Supreme Court decision in Marbury v.Madison is significant

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,which upheld a congressional restriction on free speech,represented the exercise of

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What role does partisanship play in federal court appointments?

Correct AnswerverifiedFederal judges are political officials w...View AnswerShow Answer

About ________ percent of the nation's legal cases are decided in state court systems.

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A written Supreme Court opinion that,in the absence of a majority opinion,represents the reasoning of most of the justices who side with the winning party is a

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Of the thirteen U.S.courts of appeals,

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The judiciary's status as an independent branch of national government depends on judicial review,which grants the judiciary the authority to

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The laws applicable to a case

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

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Which of the following is a recent trend in the appointment of new federal judges and justices?

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

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The Supreme Court is most likely to grant a hearing when a case involves which of the following?

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A writ of certiorari is

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What is meant by the term jurisdiction? What is the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction as it applies to the U.S.Supreme Court?

Correct AnswerverifiedA court's jurisdiction is its authority ...View AnswerShow Answer

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

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As a consequence of the separation of st...
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Federal judges are political officials w...
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A court's jurisdiction is its authority ...
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