Question 1

Almost all cases involving civil liberties or racial or gender discrimination are brought to trial by

Accepted Answer

A)   a single individual plaintiff.
B)   interest groups.
C)   the federal government.
D)   state governments.
E)   None of the above.

Question 2

Indications are that the Roberts Court will

Accepted Answer

A)   continue the Burger Court's shift to the left.
B)   moderate conservative ideology on the environment and capital punishment.
C)   sustain the Reagan Court's moderation on defendants' rights.
D)   flip-flop ideologically.
E)   continue the Rehnquist Court's shift to the right.

Question 3

Most American law is based on

Accepted Answer

A)   French philosophy regarding the rights of man.
B)   the Bible.
C)   the English common law tradition.
D)   Roman law.
E)   the writings of Thomas Jefferson.

Question 4

U.S. district courts

Accepted Answer

A)   are courts of intermediate appellate courts.
B)   have final appellate jurisdiction to review cases.
C)   are the state courts.
D)   are the trial courts of the federal system.
E)   are courts of limited jurisdiction. D

Question 5

An opinion prepared by a judge who supports the court's decision but wishes to in some way clarify, emphasize, or offer different reasons is

Accepted Answer

A)   a majority opinion.
B)   a dissenting opinion.
C)   a concurring opinion.
D)   a plurality opinion.
E)   a unanimous opinion.

Question 6

Standing to sue is

Accepted Answer

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 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. C

Question 7

If a Federal Circuit Court declares a law unconstitutional, the ruling applies

Accepted Answer

A)   only to that specific case.
B)   only within that court's jurisdiction.
C)   only at the federal level.
D)   only at the state level.
E)   to all applications of the law in the entire country.

Question 8

A doctrine holding that the courts defer to the decisions of elected officials is called

Accepted Answer

A)   judicial activism.
B)   judicial restraint.
C)   strict construction.
D)   broad construction.
E)   conservative activism.

Question 9

Sources of American law include all of the following except

Accepted Answer

A)   the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions.
B)   case law.
C)   statutes passed by legislatures.
D)   administrative regulations.
E)   the charter of the United Nations.

Question 10

The FISA court can

Accepted Answer

A)   issue warrants without revealing the information used to justify the warrant.
B)   deprive American citizens of their citizenship.
C)   rule laws enacted by Congress to be unconstitutional.
D)   strike certain provisions from the Constitution.
E)   direct the president to take certain actions in order to protect national security.

Question 11

The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

Accepted Answer

A)   specifies penalties to employers for discrimination based on gender.
B)   resets the statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit each time an employer issues a discriminatory paycheck.
C)   reaffirms the decision in the Supreme Court case, Ledbetter v. Goodyear.
D)   defines fair pay standards for different job classifications.
E)   was passed in response to employers dismissing female employees when becoming pregnant.

Question 12

If a case is affirmed, it

Accepted Answer

A)   means all justices unanimously agree on an opinion.
B)   is sent back to the court that heard the case.
C)   means the decision is valid and must stand.
D)   will result in a new trial for the defendant.
E)   is accepted as a case that the Supreme Court will hear. C

Question 13

A class-action suit is one in which

Accepted Answer

A)   every person with standing to sue does so simultaneously.
B)   a suit is brought by one or more people which seeks damages for all who are similarly affected.
C)   standing to sue is based on socio-economic class.
D)   Both A and C.
E)   None of the above.

Question 14

The number of cases that the Supreme Court reviews each term has

Accepted Answer

A)   increased dramatically since the early 1950s.
B)   hovered around 150 cases since the mid-1980s.
C)   remained constant since the Civil War.
D)   dropped significantly since the 1980s.
E)   increased 50 percent after George W. Bush became president.

Question 15

Judicial activism means

Accepted Answer

A)   the Supreme Court should accept as many cases for decision as it can.
B)   the Supreme Court should actively check the other branches of government when they exceed their authority.
C)   the Supreme Court should have the power of judicial review.
D)   the courts should defer to decisions made by the elected representatives of the people whenever possible.
E)   the members of the Supreme Court should deliver as many public speeches as possible, in an effort to engage and inform the American people.

Question 16

Public opinion can serve as a check on the judiciary because

Accepted Answer

A)   people have the ability to vote federal judges out of office if they do not approve of the rulings of the courts.
B)   the public may pressure elected officials not to enforce an unpopular ruling.
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.

Question 17

Which of the following are important requirements that must be met before a case can be brought to court?

Accepted Answer

A)   issues must be political questions
B)   jurisdiction and standing to sue
C)   precedents and stare decisis
D)   judicial maxims
E)   requirements for legislation

Question 18

The most common way for the Supreme Court to take care of cases appealed to it is to

Accepted Answer

A)   decide on the case but not give an opinion.
B)   refuse to hear a case.
C)   grant a mistrial.
D)   hear the case.
E)   return it to the state court.

Question 19

The Supreme Court's decision to take a case is based on the following factor:

Accepted Answer

A)   if there is disagreement between how different lower courts decided the legal question
B)   if a lower court's ruling conflicts with a previous ruling by the Supreme Court
C)   if the Court determines the issue has significance beyond the parties in the dispute
D)   if the solicitor general, representing the president, requests that the Court hear the case
E)   All of the above are true.

Question 20

A previous court decision that influences and is the basis for deciding later, similar cases is called

Accepted Answer

A)   a precedent.
B)   criminal law.
C)   a judicial maxim.
D)   common law.
E)   statutory law.

Exam 14: The Courts

Almost all cases involving civil liberties or racial or gender discrimination are brought to trial by

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Indications are that the Roberts Court will

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Most American law is based on

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

U.S. district courts

Correct AnswerverifiedD

An opinion prepared by a judge who supports the court's decision but wishes to in some way clarify, emphasize, or offer different reasons is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Standing to sue is

Correct AnswerverifiedC

If a Federal Circuit Court declares a law unconstitutional, the ruling applies

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A doctrine holding that the courts defer to the decisions of elected officials is called

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Sources of American law include all of the following except

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The FISA court can

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If a case is affirmed, it

Correct AnswerverifiedC

A class-action suit is one in which

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The number of cases that the Supreme Court reviews each term has

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Judicial activism means

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Public opinion can serve as a check on the judiciary because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following are important requirements that must be met before a case can be brought to court?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The most common way for the Supreme Court to take care of cases appealed to it is to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Supreme Court's decision to take a case is based on the following factor:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A previous court decision that influences and is the basis for deciding later, similar cases is called

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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D

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C

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C

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