Question 1

The Supreme Court is likely to grant a hearing when a case involves

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 federal courts.
D)   the possibility that an innocent person has been wrongly convicted of a crime.
E)   an issue dealing with state constitutional law.F) None of the above
G) A) and D)

Question 2

The discretionary power of judges is less than that of elected officials because judges

Accepted Answer

A)   are prohibited from relying on personal judgment when deciding an issue.
B)   must make decisions that can be justified in terms of existing provisions of the law.
C)   are prohibited from addressing issues that have not been previously addressed by elected officials.
D)   are prohibited from taking into account the political consequences of a decision.
E)   must render rulings on all appeals.Essay QuestionsF) A) and C)
G) A) and B)

Question 3

There are __ federal courts of appeal.

Accepted Answer

A)   2
B)   13
C)   50
D)   94
E)   435F) All of the above
G) D) and E)

Question 4

How long do federal judges serve?

Accepted Answer

A)   two years
B)   four years
C)   eight years
D)   ten years
E)   until they retire, die, or are removed through the impeachment and conviction processF) C) and D)
G) None of the above

Question 5

A written Supreme Court opinion that disagrees with what the majority of the justices decided is a

Accepted Answer

A)   majority opinion.
B)   plurality opinion.
C)   dissenting opinion.
D)   concurring opinion.
E)   adjunct opinion.F) A) and E)
G) C) and D)

Question 6

Originalism theory

Accepted Answer

A)   is a prominent philosophy among conservatives.
B)   bolsters the principles of most liberals.
C)   currently has no adherents on the Supreme Court.
D)   is easy to implement.
E)   None of these answers is correct.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 7

The lowest level of the federal court system is the

Accepted Answer

A)   circuit court of appeal.
B)   highest level of the state courts.
C)   district court.
D)   justice of the peace.
E)   supreme judicial tribunal.F) B) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 8

Studies by political scientists show that Supreme Court justices

Accepted Answer

A)   are strongly influenced by their political beliefs.
B)   are slightly influenced by their political beliefs.
C)   are not influenced by their political beliefs.
D)   strive to ensure that their political beliefs do not influence their decisions.
E)   all share the same political beliefs.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 9

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court

Accepted Answer

A)   issued a decision that led to a decrease in political spending in campaigns.
B)   upheld the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
C)   ruled that corporations cannot legally be considered persons.
D)   illustrated that it is a political body.
E)   nullified the power of the Federal Election Commission to monitor campaign spending.F) A) and C)
G) A) and D)

Question 10

Which legal doctrine holds that in nearly every instance, policy issues should be decided by elected lawmakers and not by appointed judges?

Accepted Answer

A)   judicial activism
B)   judicial restraint
C)   judicial legitimacy
D)   appellate jurisdiction
E)   judicial executive powerF) C) and D)
G) A) and E)

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

Question 12

There are __ federal district courts.

Accepted Answer

A)   2
B)   13
C)   50
D)   94
E)   435F) B) and D)
G) None of the above

Question 13

What are the constitutional requirements to be a federal judge?

Accepted Answer

A)   at least 30 years old and a citizen of the United States
B)   at least 25 years old and a citizen of the United States
C)   at least 30 years old and a resident of the specific judicial district
D)   at least 30 years old and a lawyer in good standing with the state bar
E)   There are no constitutional requirements to be a federal judge.F) C) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 14

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

Question 15

Why was the Supreme Court ruling in Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, which relied on the context of the antidiscrimination provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, demonstrative of the ambiguities of the law?

Accepted Answer

A)   The case arrived at the Supreme Court without the Court requesting a writ of certiorari.
B)   The case involved administrative law, but the Court used statutory law as a basis for its decision.
C)   It involved the votes of justices that had opposed the Civil Rights Act, but who used the Civil Rights Act in the justification for their ruling.
D)   The minority dissenting opinion refused to use the Civil Rights Act as a justification.
E)   The case dealt with sexual harassment in the workplace, which is not mentioned in the Civil Rights Act.F) C) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 16

Discuss the doctrines of judicial restraint and judicial activism.

Accepted Answer

The doctrine of judicial restraint holds...

Question 17

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 of these answers are correct.F) A) and D)
G) D) and E)

Question 18

With regard to public opinion, the Supreme Court

Accepted Answer

A)   ignores it in order to make decisions that are based on enduring values rather than the public's passing whims.
B)   remains uninformed about it because justices stay on the bench for life and never face the public scrutiny of an election.
C)   attempts to stay close enough to public opinion so as to avoid outright defiance of its decisions.
D)   attempts to follow it very closely in order to create public enthusiasm for its rulings.
E)   None of these answers is correct.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 19

What role does partisanship play in federal court appointments?

Accepted Answer

Federal judges are political officials w...

Question 20

In most instances,

Accepted Answer

A)   criminal cases are tried in federal courts and civil cases are tried in state courts.
B)   criminal cases are tried in state courts and civil cases are tried in federal courts.
C)   both criminal cases and civil cases are tried in federal courts.
D)   both criminal cases and civil cases are tried in state courts.
E)   None of these answers is correct.F) None of the above
G) A) and B)

Exam 14: The Federal Judicial System: Applying the Law

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

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How long do federal judges serve?

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There are __ federal district courts.

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In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court

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Why was the Supreme Court ruling in Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, which relied on the context of the antidiscrimination provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, demonstrative of the ambiguities of the law?

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In most instances,

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

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Studies by political scientists show that Supreme Court justices

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What role does partisanship play in federal court appointments?

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

What are the constitutional requirements to be a federal judge?

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Which legal doctrine holds that in nearly every instance, policy issues should be decided by elected lawmakers and not by appointed judges?

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The lowest level of the federal court system is the

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In selecting judges, the states rely on what method?

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Originalism theory

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With regard to public opinion, the Supreme Court

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The Supreme Court is likely to grant a hearing when a case involves

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There are __ federal courts of appeal.

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The discretionary power of judges is less than that of elected officials because judges

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Discuss the doctrines of judicial restraint and judicial activism.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe doctrine of judicial restraint holds...View AnswerShow Answer

A written Supreme Court opinion that disagrees with what the majority of the justices decided is a

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Federal judges are political officials w...
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The doctrine of judicial restraint holds...
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