1. Alexis de Tocqueville, a commentator on American society in the 1800s, noted that Americans rely on courts
a. to resolve most political questions.
b. to a much lesser degree than Europeans.
c. only if there is no other alternative.
d. to resolve economic questions, but not political ones.
e. to provide a form of entertainment.
2. Most American law is based on
a. the writings of Friedrich Engels.
b. the ideas of Thomas Paine.
c. Roman custom and tradition.
d. the English legal system.
e. the Bible.
3. The body of judge-made law that originated in England from decisions shaped according to prevailing custom is
known as
a. administrative regulations.
b. criminal law.
c. judicial maxims.
d. common law.
e. statutory law.
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4. A court rule bearing on subsequent legal decisions in similar cases is called a
a. precedent.
b. criminal law.
c. judicial maxim.
d. common law.
e. statutory law.
5. Which of the following best describes the doctrine of stare decisis?
a. Higher courts can reverse lower court rulings.
b. Courts do not have jurisdiction in a case.
c. The court may refer a case to the next lowest court.
d. Judges must follow the precedents established by past decisions.
e. Judges must be guided by strict interpretation.
6. WhentheSupremeCourtdecidesanissue,______areobligatedtoabidebytheCourt’sdecision.
a. only other federal courts
b. only individual state supreme courts
c. allofthenation’scourts
d. all courts in every country with a common law tradition
e. only Washington, D.C. courts
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7. Sources of American law include all of the following EXCEPT
a. the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions.
b. case law.
c. statutes passed by legislatures.
d. administrative law.
e. the charter of the United Nations.
8. Which of the following statements best describes the role of the United States Constitution?
a. The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land, with the exception of presidential mandates.
b. The United States Constitution is also considered case law.
c. The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land.
d. The United States Constitution is limited by statutes that are passed by legislatures.
e. The United States Constitution is less powerful than state constitutions.
9. Case law includes all of the following EXCEPT
a. constitutional amendments.
b. judicial interpretations of common law principles and doctrines.
c. judicial interpretations of constitutional provisions.
d. judicial interpretations of statutes.
e. judicial interpretations of administrative agency regulations.
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10. Jurisdiction refers to
a. rules and principles announced in court decisions.
b. the authority of a court to hear and decide certain cases.
c. the constitutionality of a law.
d. statutory law.
e. the common law.
11. Which of the following courts has jurisdiction in cases involving diversity of citizenship or federal questions?
a. All courts
b. FISA Courts
c. Appeals courts
d. State courts
e. Federal courts
12. Standing to sue is
a. determined by whether or not a court has jurisdiction over the matter.
b. determined by whether or not the Supreme Court will hear a case.
c. determined by whether or not a person or group has suffered a harm or has been threatened harm as a result
of the action that led to the dispute in question.
d. the decorum that is expected in dealing with the Supreme Court during trial.
e. also known as stare decisis.
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13. Justiciable controversies are those which
a. are no longer valid.
b. are real and substantial, as opposed to hypothetical or academic.
c. arise when the opinions on the Supreme Court are unanimous.
d. canbefoundinacase’sdissentingopinion.
e. are hypothetical or academic questions, as opposed to controversies that are real and substantial.
14. Why do interest groups play an important role in our judicial system?
a. They veto judicial nominations.
b. They fund federal judges’ campaigns.
c. James Madison defined what they do in The Federalist, No. 10.
d. They bring to trial cases of discrimination, civil liberties cases, and more than one-third of cases involving
business matters.
e. They frequently are defendants in class-action suits.
15. The term amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief refers to
a. a legal argument supporting a desired outcome of a case, filed by an interested third party not directly involved
in the case.
b. a request that the Supreme Court order a lower court to send up the records of a case.
c. a Supreme Court order barring further testimony during oral arguments.
d. the belief that the Supreme Court should actively practice judicial review.
e. a legal argument made regarding a hypothetical or purely academic question.
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16. Alawsuitseekingdamagesfor“allpersonssimilarlysituated”iscalled
a. a class-action suit.
b. an amicus curiae suit.
c. a writ of certiorari.
d. a criminal suit.
e. a procedural motion.
17. Which of the following are the three levels of federal courts in the United States?
a. Appellate courts, the U.S. Supreme Court, and state supreme courts
b. State municipal courts, U.S. district courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court
c. U.S. district courts, intermediate U.S. courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court
d. Municipal courts, intermediate U.S. courts of appeal, and the U.S Supreme Court
e. Municipal courts, state courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court
18. U.S. district courts are considered
a. intermediate appellate courts.
b. courts of last resort.
c. state courts.
d. trial courts of the federal system.
e. courts of limited jurisdiction.
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19. The federal appeals court process involves
a. witnesses and testimony presented to a jury.
b. grand juries who decide if there is enough evidence to have a trial.
c. a panel of judges that reviews the case record and determines whether the trial court committed an error.
d. attorneys from both sides who submit to binding arbitration.
e. preliminary review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
20. WhichofthefollowingstatementsbestdescribestheGeorgeW.BushAdministration’sstandonenemy
combatants?
a. Enemy combatants could be held indefinitely.
b. Enemy combatants are treated like prisoners of war.
c. Enemy combatants are not supposed to be detained by military tribunals.
d. Enemy combatants could request warrants without having to justify the request.
e. Enemy combatants were reclassified as enemy aliens.
21. In 2009, the Obama administration abolished
a. the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
b. the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
c. thealien“removalcourts.”
d. the category of enemy combatant.
e. theGuantánamoprison,andreleasedtheprisoners.
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22. All of the following are true of the Supreme Court EXCEPT
a. theSupremeCourt’stermbeginsonthefirstMondayinOctober.
b. of all the cases decided each year in U.S. courts, the number of cases reviewed by the Supreme Court
represent less than one in four thousand.
c. decisions of the Supreme Court profoundly affect our lives.
d. the Supreme Court has never heard a case involving the issue of capital punishment.
e. the Supreme Court has decided cases involving freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, campaign finance,
and abortion.
23. WhichofthefollowingbestdescribestheSupremeCourt’srationalefordecidingtohearaparticularcase?
a. They must select from a list of acceptable reasons for refusing a case, due to an act of Congress.
b. They have to explain their reasons to the President, but do not have to do so publicly.
c. They explain their reasons through press statements.
d. They must reveal their reasoning.
e. They never explain their reasons.
24. A writ of certiorari by the Supreme Court orders
a. both parties in a case to reach agreement without further litigation.
b. state courts to abide by the decisions of the Supreme Court.
c. a lower court to send up the record of a case for review.
d. Congress to rewrite unconstitutional legislation.
e. that a prisoner be brought before the court and the reasons for the detention be provided.
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25. A procedure used by the Supreme Court in determining which cases it will hear is called ______, after the number
of justices who must vote to grant a petition for review.
a. the rule of four
b. the gang of four
c. the sign of four
d. the rule of six
e. the sign of five
26. A written opinion of the Supreme Court is best described as
a. a press release.
b. a recommendation to Congress.
c. advice to the President.
d. theCourt’srulingontheissuepresented,itsreasoning,andapplicablelaw.
e. a ruling when it hears oral arguments.
27. If a case is remanded, it
a. is sent to the supreme court of the state in question.
b. is sent back to the court that originally heard the case.
c. canonlybeofacivilnature—criminalcasescannotberemanded.
d. must be decided within the calendar year.
e. is not subject to any further action by the courts.
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28. If a case is affirmed, it
a. means the case cannot be appealed to a higher court.
b. is sent back to the court that originally heard the case.
c. means a court ruling is valid and must stand.
d. will result in a new trial for the defendant.
e. is accepted as a case that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear.
29. What characterizes an opinion per curiam(“bythecourt”)?
a. WhentheSupremeCourt’swrittenopinionisunsigned
b. When a ruling is invalidated
c. When an opinion is ruled temporary, pending future decisions
d. When an opinion is valid only for academic use
e. When an opinion is an indication that the Court plans to review the case at a later date
30. A Supreme Court justice who disagrees with the majority opinion may
a. ask the Court to hear the case again.
b. send the case back to a lower court.
c. may ask that the case be put aside to be reviewed at a later time.
d. write a dissenting opinion.
e. file an amicus curiae brief.
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31. A dissenting opinion can be important because
a. it represents the position of the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
b. itisthestatementofthedefendant’sattorneytotheCourt.
c. in criminal law it must be carried out by local police.
d. it often forms the basis of the arguments used later if the Court reverses the previous decision and establishes
a new precedent.
e. it means that the case cannot be used as a precedent.
32. Which of the following statements best describes the number of signed opinions issued by the Supreme Court each
term in the twentieth century?
a. They have increased dramatically since the early 1950s.
b. They have hovered around 150 cases since the mid-1980s.
c. They have remained constant since the Civil War.
d. They dwindled notably since the 1980s.
e. They have fallen 50 percent since Barack Obama became president.
33. Supreme Court justices are
a. appointed by the Senate.
b. elected every ten years.
c. appointed by the president.
d. confirmed by the House of Representatives.
e. elected in the same manner as federal court judges.
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34. Once appointed to a judgeship, federal judges
a. cannot be removed from their position for any reason.
b. must face annual performance reviews.
c. must face recall elections every 4 years.
d. must face recall elections every 10 years.
e. hold that job for life.
35. The concept of senatorial courtesy refers to the
a. Senate approving judges only if they belong to the same party that is in control of the Senate.
b. practice of allowing senators to have the exclusive right to nominate candidates for the federal district courts
in their state.
c. practice of allowing members of the House to participate in the nomination process.
d. practice of allowing a senator to veto a judicial appointment for federal district courts in his or her state.
e. Senate’sdeferringtothepresidentandroutinelyapprovinghisorhernominees.
36. Which of the following statements about appointments to federal appeals courts is true?
a. Appeals court judges are far more numerous than federal district court appointments.
b. Appeals court judges are usually selected because of their important position in state governments.
c. Appeals court judges are usually Senators.
d. Appealscourtappointmentsareoften“steppingstones”totheSupremeCourt.
e. Appeals court judges are less influential than federal district judges.
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37. The most common occupational background of Supreme Court justices at the time of their appointment has been
a. U.S. attorney general.
b. U.S. senator.
c. professors of law.
d. federal executive posts.
e. private legal practice or state or federal judgeship.
38. All of the following are true about presidential appointments to the Supreme Court EXCEPT
a. presidentsusuallyappointpeoplewhobelongtothepresident’spoliticalparty.
b. presidents see their appointments as a way to institutionalize their political views long after they have left
office.
c. PresidentObama’sappointmentstotheSupremeCourtchangedtheideologicalbalanceoftheCourt.
d. President Bush appointed two justices to the Supreme Court.
e. President Clinton appointed many judges to the district and appeals courts.
39. WhichofthefollowingistrueregardingBarackObama’sappointmentstotheSupremeCourt?
a. The appointments did not change the ideological balance of the Court.
b. The appointments strengthened the rightward movement of the Supreme Court.
c. The appointments were two women.
d. The appointments were Harriet Miers and Samuel Alito.
e. The appointments were made possible by the death of two justices.
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40. WhichofthefollowingistrueregardingBarackObama’sappointmentstotheSupremeCourt?
a. The appointments were Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
b. The appointments changed the ideological balance of the Court.
c. The appointments included the third Hispanic on the Court.
d. TheappointmentsweremadepossiblebytheretirementsofSandraDayO’ConnorandDavidSouter.
e. The appointments were unable to be confirmed by the Senate.
41. The power of the courts to determine whether a law or action is constitutional is called
a. judicial review.
b. appellate review of fact.
c. precedent.
d. the writ of judicial appeal.
e. habeas corpus.
42. Which of the following best describes judicial activism?
a. The Supreme Court should review as many cases as they can.
b. The federal judiciary should actively check the activities of governmental bodies when they exceed their
authority.
c. The Supreme Court exercises judicial review.
d. The courts should not play politics.
e. thatthemembersoftheSupremeCourtshould“gopublic”asmuchaspossible.
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43. Justiceswhobelievein______looktothe“letterofthelaw”whentheyattempttointerprettheConstitutionora
particular statute.
a. Democratic ideology
b. Republican ideology
c. judicial activism
d. broad construction
e. strict construction
44. The doctrine of ______ rests on the assumption that the courts should defer to the decisions made by the legislative
and executive branches.
a. judicial restraint
b. judicial activism
c. habeas corpus
d. the rule of four
e. stare decisis
45. When Sonia Sotomayor was appointed to the Supreme Court,
a. she became the second female Supreme Court justice ever appointed to the Court.
b. justices became more conservative in their ideological orientations.
c. the commerce clause was struck down by liberal justices.
d. she became the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.
e. the Supreme Court lost its swing votes.
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46. During its first term, the Roberts Court
a. accepted few controversial cases for review.
b. accepted many controversial cases for review.
c. began a leftward drift.
d. struck down a federal law banning partial-birth abortion.
e. struck down the use of lethal injection as an execution method.
47. In terms of judicial implementation or enforcement of Supreme Court rulings, the Court
a. has now acquired it own police force.
b. has no enforcement powers and depends on the cooperation of the other two branches of government to
carry out its decisions.
c. does not make decisions that have to be enforced.
d. allows Congress to set up legislative review.
e. originally had enforcement powers, but those powers have since been eroded by federal legislation.
48. TheSupremeCourt’srulingscan
a. never be overturned.
b. be enforced by the Court itself.
c. be overturned by constitutional amendment at the state level, but not at the federal level.
d. be overturned by constitutional amendments at both the federal and state levels.
e. be overturned by constitutional amendment and the federal level, but not at the state level.
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49. Public opinion can serve as a check on the judiciary because
a. people have the ability to vote federal judges out of office if they do not approve of the rulings of the courts.
b. a court may lose stature if it decides a case in a way that markedly diverges from public opinion.
c. the Supreme Court typically polls the public as a basis for their decisions.
d. the president will veto a Supreme Court decision if it is politically unpopular.
e. Congress will override a decision of the Supreme Court with a majority vote in both houses.
50. An issue that a court believes should be decided by the executive or legislative branch is a(n)
a. unpopular question.
b. ineligible question.
c. political question.
d. hypothetical question.
e. public question.
51. Contrast the various sources of American law. Which of them can be said to prevail over all the others? Why?
52. Describe the structure of the federal court system by describing the three levels of courts and what happens at each
level.
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53. Explain the process by which the United States Supreme Court decides to hear cases.
54. Explain how the United States Supreme Court decides cases and explains its decisions.
55. Should federal judges be elected, as in other branches of the Federal Government? Why or why not?
56. Describe how partisan politics affects the federal courts.
57. Is it legitimate that the United States Supreme Court possesses the power of judicial review? Why, or why not?
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58. Compare and contrast the theories of judicial activism and judicial restraint, and theories of strict construction and
broad construction.
59. Given the current composition of the Supreme Court, in which ideological direction is it currently leaning? What
evidence, based on recent decisions it has made, supports your answer?
60. Explain three ways in which the courts can be checked.
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