Chapter 12 Supreme Court – Flashcards
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What is the main function of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
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The chief justice presides over the Court's public sessions and private conference.
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Prior cases whose principles are used by judges to decide current cases are called:
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precedents
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Aside from the justices themselves, who or what has the greatest power in shaping the flow of cases to the Supreme Court?
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the solicitor general
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Activist judges believe that the courts should:
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go beyond the words of a constitution or statute to consider the broader societal implications of its decisions
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The size of the U.S. Supreme Court is set by:
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Congress
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Under normal rules of oral argument, each lawyer has ______ to present his or her case before the Supreme Court.
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thirty minutes
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The assignment of the opinion in a Supreme Court case is:
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important because differences in wording and emphasis can have important implications for how the decision is interpreted in future litigation
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If a private individual brought a suit against a corporation for breaking a contract, what kind of law would this involve?
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civil
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When a case is resolved through a negotiated agreement before a full trial is completed, it is called:
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a plea bargain
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The number of cases filed in the Supreme Court has:
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increased dramatically since 1940
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The doctrine of ______ requires courts to follow authoritative prior decisions when ruling on a case.
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stare decisis
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The right of due process is best described as the right of:
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every person not to be treated arbitrarily by a government official or agency
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When justices agree with the ruling of a court majority but not all of its reasoning, they may often write a(n):
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concurring opinion
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A "certiorari pool" describes the:
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practice by which Supreme Court law clerks work together to evaluate each petition
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Senatorial courtesy describes the practice of:
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senators from a president's party approving of a judicial nominee from their home state
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The party that brings a complaint in court is called the ______, and the one against whom the complaint is brought is called the ______.
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plaintiff; defendant
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Most cases reach the Supreme Court through the:
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writ of certiorari
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In 2009, President Obama's first appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court was:
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Sonia Sotomayor
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Which of the following kinds of cases are not likely to be accepted by the Supreme Court?
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cases that address state laws but that do not raise constitutional issues
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In which type of case does the Supreme Court have original jurisdiction?
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any case involving an ambassador
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Why did many Republicans oppose President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court?
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She supported affirmative action
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Why is the Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison important?
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In this case, the Court authorized itself to exercise judicial review over laws passed by Congress.
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Why has partisan conflict surrounded federal judicial appointments in recent years?
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The federal courts play an important role in shaping American law and politics.
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______ is an example of a justice who advocated judicial restraint.
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Felix Frankfurter
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What was known as the "court packing" plan?
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the attempt by Franklin Roosevelt to add sympathetic justices to the Supreme Court in order to get New Deal laws upheld as constitutional
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Which of the following statements best describes the Supreme Court?
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The Court has broad latitude to decide which cases it will hear and generally listens only those cases it deems to raise the most important issues.
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In recent years, federal court appointments have:
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been characterized by intense partisan and ideological efforts to support or defeat the candidate
