Question 1

In 2010,three of the nine U.S.Supreme Court justices were Protestant.

Accepted Answer

In 2010, there were no Protestant justices on the U.S. Supreme Court; all of the justices were either Catholic or Jewish.

Question 2

The U.S.courts of appeals used to be known as circuit courts of appeals.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. courts of appeals were originally known as circuit courts of appeals before they were renamed in the 1940s.

Question 3

The Supreme Court grants a writ of certiorari only if a majority of judges vote in favor.

Accepted Answer

A writ of certiorari is granted if at least four of the nine Supreme Court justices vote in favor, known as the "rule of four."

Question 4

President George W.Bush appointed a higher proportion of Hispanic judges to the federal courts than any other president.

Accepted Answer

According to a report by the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, President George W. Bush appointed a higher proportion of Hispanic judges to the federal courts than any other president.

Question 5

In Canada,the government may ask its Supreme Court to dispense an opinion about the legality of potential laws.

Accepted Answer

This is true. The Canadian government can refer questions of law to the Supreme Court for an opinion on the constitutionality of potential legislation. This process is known as a reference case.

Question 6

About one-half of the cases decided by the Supreme Court involve economic issues.

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court deals with a wide variety of cases, including but not limited to economic issues. Its docket includes cases on civil rights, criminal law, environmental law, and many other areas beyond just economic matters.

Question 7

The Framers paid very little attention to the writing of Article III compared to other Articles.

Accepted Answer

The Framers of the U.S. Constitution devoted less time and debate to Article III, which outlines the judicial branch, compared to the extensive discussions and considerations given to the legislative and executive branches in Articles I and II. This relative lack of attention reflects in the brevity and vagueness of Article III, leaving much of the structure and powers of the judiciary to be determined by future legislation and judicial interpretation.

Question 8

U.S.Supreme Court decisions can be appealed to state supreme courts.

Accepted Answer

U.S. Supreme Court decisions are the highest law of the land and cannot be appealed to state supreme courts. State supreme courts are bound to follow U.S. Supreme Court decisions as the final authority on federal law.

Question 9

The judicial branch was so inconsequential that the architects of Washington D.C.consciously decided not to provide office space for the Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The judicial branch was so inconsequential that...

Question 10

The Supreme Court has generally decided an increasing number of cases in every term since 1950.

Accepted Answer

Since 1950, the Supreme Court has actually been deciding fewer cases per term, with the number of cases heard annually decreasing from over 150 in the mid-20th century to around 70-80 in recent terms.

Question 11

Most Supreme Court observers thought that the addition of John G.Roberts Jr.and Samuel A.Alito Jr.to the Court would pull it in a conservative direction.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. John G. Roberts Jr. and Samuel A. Alito Jr. were both appointed by conservative President George W. Bush and were expected to shift the Court in a more conservative direction.

Question 12

Less than one-third of the American public can name a single justice of the Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

According to a survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center in 2019, only 29% of American adults could name at least one justice on the Supreme Court.

Question 13

Suppose President Barack Obama needs to appoint a judge to the U.S.District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.To fill this position,he seeks advice from Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC).This practice is called senatorial courtesy.

Accepted Answer

Senatorial courtesy is the practice by which the President consults with Senators from a state before nominating a judicial candidate from that state. In this scenario, President Obama is seeking advice from Senator Hagan before nominating a judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Question 14

Article III sets out the structure of the federal court system.

Accepted Answer

Article III of the U.S. Constitution establishes the judicial branch and the Supreme Court but does not detail the entire structure of the federal court system.

Question 15

The U.S.Supreme Court is referred to by the name of the oldest judge serving on the Court.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Supreme Court is not referred to by the name of the oldest judge serving on the Court.

Question 16

A state passes a controversial law,and a group sues,saying the law is in violation of its rights.The case goes all the way to the Supreme Court for review.Judging the constitutionality of this law is a power the Court claimed in Marbury v.Madison.

Accepted Answer

This is true. In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court established the power of judicial review, which allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws and government actions.

Question 17

Judicial review is mentioned in Article IV of the Constitution.

Accepted Answer

Judicial review is not mentioned in Article IV of the Constitution. It is instead established by the Supreme Court's interpretation of Article III, which outlines the powers and authority of the federal judiciary.

Question 18

President Jimmy Carter appointed three Supreme Court justices.

Accepted Answer

President Jimmy Carter did not appoint any Supreme Court justices during his term from 1977 to 1981.

Question 19

Courts of original jurisdiction primarily determine matters of law.

Accepted Answer

Courts of original jurisdiction primarily determine matters of fact, while appellate courts primarily determine matters of law.

Question 20

The Constitution sets the number of justices on the Supreme Court at nine.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution does not specify the number of justices on the Supreme Court; this number is set by Congress and has changed over time.

Quiz 9: The Judiciary