Question 1

Which of the following describes the useful functions of the doctrine of stare decisis?

Accepted Answer

The doctrine of stare decisis serves the useful functions of promoting efficiency, consistency, stability, predictability in legal decision-making. Therefore, all of the given choices are correct.

Question 2

In the case Brown v.Board of Education of Topeka, the U.S.Supreme Court held that:

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruled that separate educational facilities for whites and African Americans were inherently unequal, thus overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson.

Question 3

When deciding cases of first impression, courts may consider which of the following factors?

Accepted Answer

When deciding cases of first impression, courts may consider legal principles and policies underlying previous court decisions or statutes, fairness, social values and customs, and public policy all together. Therefore, all of these choices are correct.

Question 4

Occasionally, a court will depart from precedent if:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Occasionally, a court will depart from precedent...

Question 5

is any source of law that a court must follow when deciding a case, including constitutions, statutes, and regulations that govern the issue being decided, as well as court decisions that are controlling precedents within the jurisdiction.

Accepted Answer

Binding authority is the only option that accurately describes a source of law that a court must follow when deciding a case. Stare decisis, persuasive precedent, and precedent are related concepts, but they do not necessarily require a court to follow a specific source of law. Binding authority, such as constitutions, statutes, regulations, and controlling court decisions, are mandatory sources of law that must be applied by a court when deciding a case.

Question 6

Under the doctrine of stare decisis:

Accepted Answer

Stare decisis is a legal principle that obligates judges to follow the precedents set by their own courts or higher courts within their jurisdiction, ensuring consistency and predictability in the law.

Question 7

Persuasive precedents are:

Accepted Answer

Persuasive precedents are decisions from other jurisdictions that are not binding but can influence a court's decision.

Question 8

Which of the following is not an example of a binding authority?

Accepted Answer

Law journals are not binding authorities as they are not official sources of law. They may provide analysis and interpretation of the law, but they do not have the same authoritative weight as constitutions, statutes, and regulations.

Question 9

A is a decision made by a judge in case that has come before the court and which then becomes part of the law on the subject.

Accepted Answer

A legal precedent is a decision made by a judge in a case that becomes part of the law on the subject, serving as an example or rule for future cases.

Question 10

Judges often decide cases based upon from previous cases on similar subjects.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Judges often decide cases based upon from...

Question 11

Public policy is:

Accepted Answer

Public policy is typically based on widely held societal values and aims to address issues that affect the public at large.

Question 12

A case presenting a legal issue that has not yet been addressed by a court in a particular jurisdiction is known as:

Accepted Answer

A case of first impression refers to a legal issue that has not been previously decided by the courts in that jurisdiction.

Question 13

Which of the following is not an example of a binding authority?

Accepted Answer

All the options listed (Constitutions, Statutes, and Regulations) are examples of binding authorities in the legal system.

Question 14

The doctrine of makes the law more stable and predictable.

Accepted Answer

Stare decisis is a legal doctrine that obligates courts to follow historical cases when making a ruling on a similar case, thus ensuring stability and predictability in the law.

Question 15

Developments in technology often outpace the law, resulting in cases for which there is no precedent.Such cases are referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Cases of first impression are those for which there is no legal precedent, often occurring when new technology or situations arise that have not been previously addressed by the courts.

Question 16

Which of the following cases helped launch the civil rights movement?

Accepted Answer

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, helping to launch the civil rights movement.

Question 17

Courts consider legal principles and policies underlying previous court decisions or existing statutes, fairness, social values and customs, public policy and data, and concepts drawn from the social sciences when deciding:

Accepted Answer

Cases of first impression are those where there is no binding precedent, so courts must consider various factors such as legal principles, fairness, social values, and public policy to make a decision.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of a binding authority?

Accepted Answer

All of these choices are examples of binding authority. Binding authority refers to sources of law that courts are required to follow when making decisions in legal cases. Constitutions, statutes, and regulations are all types of binding authority.

Question 19

When no binding authority exists, courts will often review:

Accepted Answer

Courts often review persuasive precedents when no binding authority exists, as these can guide the court's decision-making process even though they are not obligatory.

Question 20

is the doctrine under which a court is obligated to follow the earlier decisions of that court or higher courts within the same jurisdiction.

Accepted Answer

Stare decisis is the doctrine under which a court is obligated to follow the earlier decisions of that court or higher courts within the same jurisdiction. Statutory law refers to laws created by a legislative body, while the common law refers to judge-made law developed through precedent.

Quiz 4: Sources of American Law

Which of the following describes the useful functions of the doctrine of stare decisis?

In the case Brown v.Board of Education of Topeka, the U.S.Supreme Court held that:

When deciding cases of first impression, courts may consider which of the following factors?

Occasionally, a court will depart from precedent if:

is any source of law that a court must follow when deciding a case, including constitutions, statutes, and regulations that govern the issue being decided, as well as court decisions that are controlling precedents within the jurisdiction.

Under the doctrine of stare decisis:

Persuasive precedents are:

Which of the following is not an example of a binding authority?

A is a decision made by a judge in case that has come before the court and which then becomes part of the law on the subject.

Judges often decide cases based upon from previous cases on similar subjects.

Public policy is:

A case presenting a legal issue that has not yet been addressed by a court in a particular jurisdiction is known as:

Which of the following is not an example of a binding authority?

The doctrine of makes the law more stable and predictable.

Developments in technology often outpace the law, resulting in cases for which there is no precedent.Such cases are referred to as:

Which of the following cases helped launch the civil rights movement?

Courts consider legal principles and policies underlying previous court decisions or existing statutes, fairness, social values and customs, public policy and data, and concepts drawn from the social sciences when deciding:

Which of the following is an example of a binding authority?

When no binding authority exists, courts will often review:

is the doctrine under which a court is obligated to follow the earlier decisions of that court or higher courts within the same jurisdiction.