Govt 2305 – Ch 15 Pre/Post Test – Flashcards
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Today's Supreme Court can best be described as ideologically
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conservative
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In a civil case, the party who brings a case against a defendant is referred to as the
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plaintiff
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Dr. Jane Doe delivered a baby in a hospital while intoxicated. The baby died during delivery, and the parents sued the doctor. What kind of case is that?
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tort case
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What are legal precedents?
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prior cases whose principles are used by judges as the basis for their decision in a present case
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Which of the following is not a case in which the federal courts would have jurisdiction?
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a case involving burglary of a house
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Most criminal cases
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end with a plea bargain.
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Jurisdiction refers to
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a court's area of authority.
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Federal judges have life tenure and protected salaries in order to make them
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independent
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What is a writ of habeas corpus?
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a court order that an individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention.
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Congress may change all of the following except the
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Supreme Court's original jurisdiction.
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The country is divided into ____ regional judicial circuits, each of which has a U.S. Court of Appeals.
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12
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U.S. circuit court decisions are made by
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a panel of three judges.
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In general, the chief justice
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assigns opinions when voting with the majority.
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Which of the following is a constitutional requirement for being a Supreme Court Justice?
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There are no constitutional requirements for serving on the Supreme Court.
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To win Senate confirmation, judicial nominees usually need to
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have support from the state's senior senator in the president's party.
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Judicial review refers to the
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power of the judiciary to examine the constitutionality of state and federal laws.
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The member of the justice department who handles all Supreme Court appeals for the U.S. government is the
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solicitor general.
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Justices who agree with the majority decision but disagree with the legal reasoning will likely file a(n)
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concurring opinion.
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Historically, the Supreme Court's most important decisions were those that
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protected the freedoms of those whose beliefs or race made them unpopular.
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Where is the right to privacy listed in the Constitution?
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The right to privacy is not spelled out anywhere in the Constitution.
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Justices appointed by presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush have moved the Court in a more ____ direction on issues, including affirmative action and abortion.
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conservative
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In ____ cases, the government is always the plaintiff.
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criminal
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In what kind of case does the plaintiff charge that it has suffered because of another's violation of a specific agreement between the two?
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contract
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Stare decisis is a Latin phrase that means
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let the decision stand.
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Federal court jurisdiction extends to
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federal statutes, treaties, and the U.S. Constitution.
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A negotiated agreement in a criminal case in which a defendant agrees to tell the court that he or she is guilty in return for the state's agreement to reduce the severity of the criminal charge or prison sentence the defendant is facing is known as a
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plea bargain.
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What is the term for a court's sphere of power and authority?
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jurisdiction
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Which federal judges are appointed for life?
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All Article III judges are appointed for life.
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be suspended only in cases of rebellion or invasion.
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habeas corpus
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The Constitution gives the Supreme Court ____ jurisdiction in cases involving foreign ambassadors and issues in which a state is a party.
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original
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Each _____ court exercises _____ jurisdiction over cases heard by the district courts within its region.
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circuit; appellate
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U.S. district court decisions are made by
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a single federal judge.
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Opinion assignment when he or she is in the majority is an important power of the ____.
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chief justice
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all presidents have made an effort to select justices who ____.
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share their political philosophies
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What is the name for the practice whereby the president, before formally nominating a person for a federal judgeship, seeks the indication that senators from the candidate's own state support the nomination?
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senatorial courtesy
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Judicial review was established in the case of ____
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Marbury v. Madison.
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Why does the solicitor general have such a strong influence on the Supreme Court?
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The solicitor general screens most cases being appealed by agencies of the federal government and only lets some cases advance.
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Justices who disagree with the majority decision of the Court may choose to publicize the character of their disagreement in the form of a
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dissenting opinion.
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Today, ____ seem to view the courts as useful instruments through which to pursue their goals.
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Americans of all political persuasions
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Which of the following cases involved the right to privacy?
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Griswold v. Connecticut
