AP Government & Politics Ch. 15 The Federal Court System & SCOTUS 1. A liberal judicial activist judge would probably support which of the following rulings made by the Supreme Court? A. a death penalty case in which the Court upholds the ability of the state under the 8 th amendment to execute a convict using lethal injection B. a search and seizure case upholding the police s ability to introduce evidence seized without a warrant. C. a freedom of religion case where the Court struck a city s attempt at establishing National Bible Day D. a free press case giving school officials greater latitude in censoring school newspapers. E. a case where a state wants to create more restrictions on who and when an abortion could be performed. 2. A historical view of the Supreme Court reveals that the Court A. has expanded the power of the federal government to regulate the economy. B. has reduced the scope of civil liberties afforded to US citizens. C. has expanded its use of judicial restraint primarily since the 1960 s D. has checked its power over state constitutions and laws E. All of the above are true 3. In dealing with First Amendment cases involving religion, the Supreme Court has ruled that: A. the government must not interfere with any expression of religious faith B. such questions should only be resolved at the state and local levels C. while all religious beliefs are Constitutionally protected, all religious practices are not D. the Constitution does not protect anti-religious beliefs and practices E. all religious practices are protected under the free exercise clause 4. According to the principle of, a court should not overturn precedent unless it is absolutely necessary. A. original Intent D. prior restraint B. judicial review E. judicial restraint C. stare decisis 5. Wearing an armband and/or burning the American flag are examples of ; actions that do not consist of speaking or writing but that still express A. an opinion. D. commercial speech B. symbolic speech E. obscenity C. the free exercise clause 6. Which of the following situations might violate a First Amendment right? A. police search a high school student s locker for drugs B. A state legislature passes a law prohibiting the possession of firearms C. Prisoners are not allowed to consult with their attorneys D. A town council refuses to grant a permit for the KKK to march E. A state refusing to marry same sex couples
7. Supreme Court justices were given tenure subject to good behavior by the framers of the Constitution in order to ensure that A. justices are free from direct political pressures B. justices remain accountable to the public C. justices are encouraged to make politically popular decisions D. cooperation between the judicial and legislative branches is assured E. Presidents are encouraged to seek younger nominees for the Supreme Court 8. Which of the following is true of the Supreme Court? A. Every case appealed to the Supreme Court is ruled upon by the Court. B. The Court helps set the public agenda by deciding which appeals to hear. C. The Court hears all cases when two or more justices agree that the case has merit D. In deciding cases, the chief justice s vote counts as two votes E. The Court does not rule on cases in which five justices refuse to sign a single opinion 9. During the second half of the twentieth century, the Supreme Court s position on free speech was that A. free speech is essential to liberty and therefore may be abridged only under extreme circumstances B. the government may never limit speech because free speech is protected by the First Amendment C. state governments may place limits on free speech, but the national government may not because of the First Amendment D. the government may limit speech that the majority of Americans finds offensive E. The government may place limits on free speech in print and broadcast media but may not limit the spoken word 10. Under the principal of judicial review, A. the Supreme Court can review legislation under consideration by Congress and provide an opinion in its constitutionality B. state supreme courts can declare federal laws unconstitutional if they violate the state s constitution C. federal courts can declare federal and state laws unconstitutional D. judges must follow precedents established by previous Supreme Court decisions E. regulations proposed by a federal agency must be reviewed by a federal judge before going into effect 11. The decisions of federal judges are based on all the following EXCEPT A. the wording of the Constitution B. the intention of Congress when the actual wording of a federal law is ambiguous C. the facts of the case as determined by the trial court D. the wording of state laws E. precedents established by decisions of the Supreme Court in related cases
12. Decisions reached by the Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren (1953-1969) did all of the following EXCEPT A. Rules against unfair reapportionment rules in state legislatures. B. Void state statutes that permitted school segregation. C. Invalidate state abortion statutes. D. Expand the rights of criminal defendants. E. Increase protection for First Amendment freedoms. 13. Of the thousands of cases appealed to the Supreme Court each year, the decision of which hundred or so will actually be considered by the Court is made by: A. the Chief Justice, who sets the agenda for the Court s term B. the Supreme Court, which hears a case if four justices vote to hear it C. the Supreme Court, which hears a case only is no justice objects to hearing it D. the Attorney General, who decides which cases require a Supreme Court ruling E. the U.S. Court of Appeals, which decide which cases are important enough to send to the Supreme Court 14. A non-litigant group or individual that wants to attempt to influence the court in a particular case can file A. An amicus curiae brief D. A writ of certiorari B. A writ of stare decisis E. A writ of originalism C. A habeas corpus petition 15. The number of justices on the United States Supreme Court is set by A. National convention D. The United States Constitution B. Congress E. The American Bar Association C. The president 16. Which of the following is true of nominees for federal judgeships? A. They are recruited from the current pool of United States attorneys B. They are nominated by the Senate and approved by the House of Representatives C. They are elected in popular elections in the individual states D. They must receive the approval of the American Bar Association E. They are appointed for life by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate 17. Those who believe that the Supreme Court in its rulings should defer to the legislative institutions of government are advocating A. Social Darwinism D. incorporation B. judicial activism E. nullification C. judicial restraint 18. What are the two types of jurisdiction courts can have? A. original and appellate D. active and restrained B. trial and appeals E. legislative and constitutional C. constitutional and statutory
(2011) The United States Supreme Court receives many appeals, but it hears and rules on a small percentage of cases each year. Numerous factors influence the actions of the Court, both in deciding to hear a case and in the decisions it hands down. a. Define judicial review. b. Explain how judicial review empowers the Supreme Court within the system of checks and balances. c. Describe the process through which the Court grants a writ of certiorari. d. Explain how each of the following influences decisions made by individual justices when deciding cases heard by the Court. Stare decisis Judicial Activism
(2012) The judicial branch is often assumed to be insulated from politics. However, politics affects many aspects of the judiciary. (a) Describe two political factors that affect presidents decisions to appoint members of the federal judiciary. (b) Identify two political factors that affect the confirmation process of a president s nominees and explain how each factor complicates a confirmation. (c) Explain how one legislative power serves as a check on court decisions. (d) Explain how one executive power serves as a check on court decisions.
(2013) Presidents consider many factors when nominating candidates to the federal courts, and getting their nominees confirmed is often difficult. (a) Using the chart above, describe ONE similarity between President Barack Obama s judicial appointments and those made by President George W. Bush. (b) Using the chart above, describe TWO differences between President Barack Obama s judicial appointments and those made by President George W. Bush. (c) Explain why a president s party affiliation accounts for differences in presidential appointments to the judiciary. (d) Describe one way a president can increase the chances of having judicial nominations to federal courts confirmed.