Deck 6: Judges

Question 1

Which president appointed more district court judges than any other?

A) Ronald Reagan
B) George H.W. Bush
C) Bill Clinton
D) George W. Bush
E) Barack Obama

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A key characteristic of judicial elections is:

A) low voter turnout
B) heated campaigning
C) marked by controversy
D) bar associations split over their endorsements

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Federal judges are:

A) nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate
B) nominated by the president and confirmed by both houses of Congress
C) appointed by Congress, subject to presidential veto
D) appointed by the chief justice
E) appointed by the president subject only to legislative veto

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Judicial independence is aimed at:

A) increasing accountability
B) legislative control over court actions
C) neutral and impartial decision making
D) the right of a judge to dismiss a jury

Question 5

The American Bar Association generally has the most influence over the selection of federal judges during:

A) Republican administrations
B) the recruitment process
C) confirmation hearings
D) Democratic administrations

Question 6

Which president named a greater percentage of women to the federal judiciary than any other?

A) Jimmy Carter
B) George H.W. Bush
C) Bill Clinton
D) George W. Bush
E) Barack Obama

Question 7

The cost of judicial campaigns is:

A) decreasing over time
B) increasingly paid for by public funding
C) increasing over time
D) remaining relatively constant

Question 8

Judges' work includes:

A) umpiring
B) writing legal opinions
C) administration
D) a, b, and c

Question 9

Common judicial selection methods do not include:

A) appointment
B) elections
C) House Judiciary Committee
D) merit selection

Question 10

Most states select/retain trial judges by which method?

A) appointment by the governor
B) the Missouri Bar Plan
C) legislative appointment
D) popular election
E) direct promotion

Question 11

Which of the following means of dealing with judges suspected of wrongdoing was first used in California?

A) impeachment by the House and removal by the Senate
B) removal by the governor after concurrent resolution by both houses of the legislature
C) recall elections
D) judicial conduct commissions
E) removal and disbarment by state bar associations

Question 12

Complaints about the conduct of federal judges are first considered by:

A) the chief justice
B) Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
C) judicial councils
D) judicial conference
E) chief judge of the district courts

Question 13

American judges generally serve:

A) about the same length of time as a U.S. Senator
B) fewer years than the average elected official
C) more years than the average elected official
D) typically for life

Question 14

Which of the following is a major actor in the selection of federal judges, but does not have a formal role?

A) the deputy attorney general
B) the American Bar Association
C) the chief justice
D) the Senate

Question 15

Which of the following is a similar background characteristic of the judicial appointments by Barack Obama and George W. Bush?

A) previous political activity
B) type of education
C) judicial experience
D) undergraduate education
E) all of the above

Question 16

In choosing his nominees to the federal bench, President Obama's nominees have been confirmed by the Senate:

A) much faster than was expected
B) faster than was expected
C) at the same rate as previous presidents
D) more slowly than previous presidents

Question 17

A judge's docket refers to his or her:

A) legal training
B) use of the ABA scheduling software
C) calendar of cases
D) use of technology in the courtroom

Question 18

The custom of senatorial courtesy:

A) encourages courteous behavior on the floor of the Senate
B) gives senators the power to appoint state court judges
C) gives a senator of the president's party influence in the selection of the district court judges when vacancies occur in his or her state
D) requires the House of Representatives to vote for Senate approved judicial nominees

Question 19

Which group or groups are involved in judicial selection in the United States?

A) lawyers
B) elected officials
C) the public
D) a, b, and c

Question 20

The president's freedom to nominate judges is greatest in the:

A) bankruptcy courts
B) district courts
C) Washington D.C. courts
D) U.S. Supreme Court

Question 21

Most judicial elections are low-visibility affairs.

Question 22

How does the debate over judicial accountability versus independence relate to methods of judicial selection?

Question 23

How is judging in the United Kingdom different from the United States?

Question 24

Judicial elections tend to be partisan.

Question 25

What consequences might shows like Judge Judy have for the legal system?

Question 26

Describe the debate in Caperton v. Massey Coal Co. (2009) regarding judicial recusal from cases.

Question 27

Presidents are highly successful in securing the confirmation of their nominees to the high bench.

Question 28

Judicial misconduct often involves corruption.

Question 29

One hundred percent of federal judges nominated by the president share his political philosophy.

Question 30

Describe the current status of judicial elections in the states.

Question 31

Senatorial courtesy was done away with in the Judicial Administration Reform Act of 2002.

Question 32

A newly elected U.S. president calls you and seeks your advice as to how to select federal judges. Explain in clear and simple terms the process from nomination to confirmation. How does this system differ from the Missouri Plan used at the state level? Is the overall process to select federal judges a better plan than that used by the states?

Question 33

Conviction of a federal judge on an impeachment requires a:

A) two?thirds vote of senators present
B) two?thirds vote of the House
C) unanimous decision of the Supreme Court
D) two?thirds vote of the Judiciary Committee
E) two?thirds vote of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association

Question 34

There is wide agreement among the public and legal profession about what constitutes a "good judge."

Question 35

The responsibility of impeaching federal judges rests with the:

A) Congress
B) House of Representatives
C) Senate
D) Supreme Court

Question 36

Presidents are generally more successful in getting their judicial nominations confirmed by the Senate during their second term.