GED Social Studies : Federal Courts
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Federal Courts
The Supreme Court Case Marbury v. Madison __________
overturned Plessy v. Ferguson.
established the Presidential line of succession.
gave Congress undisputed power to regulate interstate commerce.
established the power of Judicial Review.
legalized abortion in the United States.
established the power of Judicial Review.
The Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Madison (1803) is the most important of the early Supreme Court cases. It established the power of Judicial Review, which states that the Supreme Court has the right to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional. It greatly expanded the power of the infant Judicial Branch and further entrenched the doctrine of checks and balances that is at the heart of the American political system.
Example Question #2 : Powers Of The Federal Courts
The idea that the Supreme Court should play a prominent role in determining the direction of national policy is called __________.
judicial activism
judicial restraint
judicial nonchalance
judicial review
judicial aggression
judicial activism
The term Judicial Activism, or Judicial Intervention, is used to describe the belief that the Supreme Court should take an active and promiment role in shaping American national policies. It is the antonym of judicial restraint, which suggests that the Supreme Court should limit its attempts to intervene in shaping national policies.
Example Question #2 : Federal Courts
Judicial Review allows the Supreme Court to _________________.
declare an act of Congress as unconstitutional
approve appointments to the President’s cabinet
authorize the impeachment of a President
oversee elections and campaigns
overrule a precedent established by a previous Court
declare an act of Congress as unconstitutional
Judicial Review is one of the more important powers of the Supreme Court and the Judicial Branch of the United States government. It was established in the Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison, in 1803. It allows the Supreme Court to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional, giving the Judicial Branch the ability to check the power of the Legislative Branch.
Example Question #3 : Federal Courts
What does it mean to say that a Supreme Court Justice has tenure?
It means they cannot hold another position within government at the same time.
It means they are forbidden from holding party affiliations.
It means they cannot be removed from office.
It means they cannot serve more than one term.
It means they cannot be paid for their service.
It means they cannot be removed from office.
Being a Justice on the Supreme Court is a tenured position. This means Justices cannot be removed from office by either the President or by Congress. They are effectively in power for life, or until they decide to retire.
Example Question #4 : Federal Courts
How many Judges were originally in the Supreme Court?
Six
One
Nine
Three
Five
Six
There were originally six Supreme Court Justices. This was quickly changed to seven in 1807, to prevent the obvious problem of there being frequent ties. In 1837, the number of Justices was expanded to nine, where it has remained—apart from a brief time with ten—ever since.
Example Question #5 : Federal Courts
The notorious "court packing" incident is associated with which United States' President?
Theodore Roosevelt
Harry Truman
George H.W. Bush
John F. Kennedy
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
During the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt met with a lot of opposition from the Supreme Court, which ruled that many of his policies were in violation of the Constitution and attempted to take the powers of the government and the Presidency too far. To try to remedy this situation, Roosevelt attempted to expand the number of Supreme Court Justices to give himself a majority of supporters on the Court; this was of course met with a great deal of opposition, and is now known as "court packing."
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