US Government - Ried Chapter 8 TEST The Court System 1) Which courts hear the vast majority of cases in the United States? A. bankruptcy courts B. federal courts C. appellate courts D. state courts 2) Who makes a legal complaint in a court proceeding? A. plaintiff B. defendant C. jury D. public defender 3) Which type of jurisdiction is held by a court that reviews the proceedings of a lower court? 4) When both state courts and federal courts have the right to hear a case. 5) A court s right to have heard a case simply because it was the first court to hear it. 6) The sole right to hear a case
7) The concept that judges can adapt the meaning of the Constitution to contemporary realities. A. judicial restraint B. judicial activism C. judicial contemporaries D. judicial realities 8) The person against whom a legal complaint is filed. A. plaintiff B. defendant C. jury D. public defender 9) Which courts serve as the trial courts of the federal system? A. courts of appeals B. district courts C. state supreme courts D. state appellate courts 10) A legal principle that the previous court decision will not be overturned. A. de banc B. stare decisis C. certiorari D. habeous corpus 11) Which of the following would be handled in a civil trial? A. kidnapping B. murder C. making false statements D. dispute over property 12) What kind of cases makes up the major part of the Supreme Court s load? A. jury trials B. disputes between states C. trials without juries D. appeals
13) How many justices does the Supreme Court have today? A. 5 B. 6 C. 7 D. 8 14) Which term refers to previous court rulings? A. precedent B. senetoral courtesy C. jurisdiction D. judicial review 15) The Framers thought that making federal judgeships permanent would help ensure A. that judges would become wealthy. B. strong party involvement in the selection of judges. C. judicial independence. D. diversity among federal judges 16) Which group gathers to hear evidence of a possible crime and to recommend whether there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges? A. grand jury B. trial jury C. magistrate judges D. public defenders 17) A legal process by which citizens who cannot pay money they owe others can receive court protection and assistance in settling their financial problems. A. courts-martial B. bankruptcy C. sovereign immunity D. misdemeanor 18) Which of the following is a minor criminal case? A. felony B. civil suit C. civil dress D. minor infraction
19) Who provides security at federal courthouses? A. U.S. Marshals B. U.S. Martials C. Local and State Law Enforcement D. Military 20) Which term refers to someone who files an appeal? A. appellant B. appeals person C. public defender D. public plaintiff 21) Which of the following officials of district courts IS an actual employee of the court? A. public defenders B. U.S. attorneys C. U.S. Marshals D. Judge/Justice E. all of these 22) The written arguments of each side to an appeal are called A. briefs B. complaints C. responses D. petitions 23) If members of the military violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice, they are subject to prosecution in A. military commissions B. district courts C. national security court D. courts-martial 24) In which case did the Supreme Court declare that Congress lacked the power to outlaw slavery in the territories? A. McCullough v. Maryland B. Scott v. Sandford C. Marbury v. Madison D. Plessy v. Ferguson
25) When does the Supreme Court term begin and end? A. begins in October, ends in May B. begins in June/July, ends in October C. begins in October, ends in June/July D. begins in September, ends in June/July 26) Which statement is true? A. James Madison wrote the Federalist Papers 78-83 which became the touchtone for constitutional scholars. B. Alexander Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers 78-83 which became the touchtone for constitutional scholars C. James Madison wrote the Federalist Papers 78-81 which became the touchtone for constitutional scholars D. Alexander Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers 78-81 which became the touchtone for constitutional scholars E. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Federalist Papers 78-83 which became the touchtone for constitutional scholars 27) What was President Franklin Roosevelt s reason for wanting to pack the Supreme Court? A. to help the Court function more efficiently B. to enable the justices to better handle their workloads C. so that New Deal programs would survive the legal challenge D. so that some New Deal programs would be struck down 28) Who served as chief justice when the Supreme Court reached the height of its liberal era? A. Roger Taney B. John Roberts C. John Marshall D. Earl Warren 29) A majority opinion is one that is signed by at least how many members of the Supreme Court? A. 5 B. 6 C. 7 D. 8 E. 9 30) In the process of hearing a case, what do Supreme Court justices do after reading the written briefs? A. listen to oral arguments B. write an opinion C. issue a ruling D. place the case on the docket
31) How many total federal judicial districts are in the United States? A. 50 B. 54 C. 94 D. 100 32) All of the following amendments helped outlaw slavery, established citizenship & equal protection of the lawyer African Americans, plus guaranteed voting rights for African American males, EXCEPT A. 13th Amendment B. 14th Amendment C. 15th Amendment D. 16th Amendment 33) Which of the following statements is true? A. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy and approved by Congress in 1942 without the the word under God. It was in 1954 that the President signed an executive order to add the words under God to the pledge. B. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy and approved by Congress in 1942 without the the word under God. It was in 1954 that Congress signed an executive order to add the words under God to the pledge. C. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy and approved by Congress in 1942 without the the word under God. It was in 1954 that the Congress passes legislation to add the words under God to the pledge. D. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy and approved by Congress in 1942 without the the word under God. It was in 1954 that the President vetoed legislation to add the words under God to the pledge. E. None of these statements is true. 34) Between the years 1899 & 1937, there were 184 state laws that were struck down by the Supreme Court. What did the majority of these cases involve? A. Civil Rights crimes B. Economic regulations C. Civil Rights issues D. Bankruptcy issues 35) How many federal judicial districts are found in Michigan? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 E. 5