3.2.1.4.1 The judicial branch: selection and role of the Supreme Court Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. How many justices sit on the US Supreme Court?

   • Thirteen
   • Seven
   • Eleven
   • Nine

2. Who nominates justices to the US Supreme Court?

   • The President
   • The Electoral College
   • The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
   • The Speaker of the House of Representatives

3. What must happen after a President nominates a Supreme Court justice?

   • The House of Representatives must approve the nominee by a two-thirds majority
   • The Senate must confirm the nominee, normally by a simple majority
   • The Electoral College must confirm the nominee by a majority of electors
   • The state legislatures must each ratify the nominee by a simple majority

4. How long do Supreme Court justices normally serve?

   • For a fixed term of eight years, renewable by the President
   • For a term of six years, matching the term of a US senator
   • For a term of four years, matching the term of a US President
   • For life, subject to good behaviour, unless they retire

5. Which constitutional role does the Supreme Court play as guardian of the Constitution?

   • It elects the President if no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes
   • It interprets the Constitution
   • It approves the budget of Congress before it is passed by the House
   • It drafts amendments to the Constitution and submits them to the states

6. Which role does the Supreme Court play as protector of citizens' rights?

   • It can strike down laws
   • It can issue executive orders on behalf of citizens without any legal basis
   • It can remove citizens from the Bill of Rights if they break a federal law
   • It can decide how many votes each state receives in the Electoral College

7. What is the nature of judicial power in the US system?

   • The power to set tax rates for the federal government without consulting the Senate
   • The power to interpret the Constitution and laws
   • The power to command the armed forces in times of war as commander in chief
   • The power to draft federal statutes and pass them without a vote of Congress

8. What is judicial activism?

   • A judicial approach in which courts defer to elected branches and avoid striking down laws
   • A judicial approach in which the courts refuse to hear any case involving the Constitution
   • A judicial approach in which judges are chosen by voters in regular elections
   • A judicial approach in which courts are willing to strike down laws

9. What is judicial restraint?

   • A judicial approach that requires every case to be heard by the full Senate
   • A judicial approach that expands the courts' role to make new laws on any issue
   • A judicial approach that gives the President full power to decide constitutional questions
   • A judicial approach that defers to the elected branches

10. What does strict constructionism mean in interpreting the Constitution?

    • A broad reading of the Constitution that allows the courts to update its meaning over time
    • A narrow reading of the Constitution that limits its meaning to its text and original intent
    • A reading of the Constitution that treats the amendment process as the only way to change its meaning
    • A reading of the Constitution that gives the President the final say on all constitutional questions

11. What does loose constructionism mean in interpreting the Constitution?

    • A reading of the Constitution that ignores the Bill of Rights in favour of statute
    • A reading of the Constitution that requires every provision to be voted on by the Senate
    • A broader reading of the Constitution that allows implied powers
    • A narrow reading of the Constitution that bans all implied powers for the federal government

12. Which statement about the political significance of the Supreme Court is most accurate?

    • Its decisions are binding only on the President, and not on Congress or the states
    • Its decisions are made by public vote in every state, so they carry no political weight
    • Its decisions on controversial issues can have major political effects, which makes its appointments highly contested
    • Its decisions have no political significance because they are never reported in the media

13. Why is the selection of justices politically significant?

    • Justices serve for only one year, so the selection has no lasting political effect
    • Justices serve for life, so a nomination can shape the Court's direction for decades
    • Justices are chosen by the states in equal numbers, so the selection is never controversial
    • Justices are chosen by the monarch, so the Presidency has no role in the process

14. Which evaluation best supports the view that judicial review gives the Supreme Court significant political power?

    • Judicial review allows the Court to invalidate laws and official actions, which can change policy across the country
    • Judicial review applies only to decisions made by the Electoral College, and not to laws
    • Judicial review applies only to state courts, which the Supreme Court cannot review at all
    • Judicial review has no effect on policy because Congress can always ignore Supreme Court rulings

15. Which argument best supports the view that the Supreme Court has limited power?

    • It can remove members of Congress from office for voting against its rulings
    • It can enforce its own decisions by ordering the armed forces to take control of state governments
    • It sets the federal budget each year, so it controls Congress's spending completely
    • It has no army or budget of its own and depends on other branches to enforce its decisions

16. Which statement about the Supreme Court's role in shaping policy is most accurate?

    • It shapes policy only in criminal cases, and never in areas of civil rights or federalism
    • It sets all public policy directly by issuing binding instructions to every federal agency
    • It has no influence on public policy because policy is set only by the states and their governors
    • It can influence public policy through its rulings, particularly on rights, federalism

17. Which judicial approach would most likely support the expansion of rights through court decisions?

    • Strict constructionism, because it confines the Constitution to the rights listed in its text alone
    • Judicial activism, because it allows courts to strike down laws that they regard as violating rights
    • Judicial inaction, because courts should never decide any case involving rights at all
    • Judicial restraint, because it requires courts to defer to elected branches on all issues

18. Which judicial approach would most likely support deference to elected legislatures?

    • Judicial review, because it requires courts to approve every act of Congress before it becomes law
    • Judicial activism, because it asks courts to decide policy for the legislatures in every case
    • Loose constructionism, because it allows courts to create new statutes whenever they wish
    • Judicial restraint, because it emphasises leaving policy choices to the elected branches

19. Which evaluation best supports the view that the Supreme Court protects the constitutional order?

    • By approving all government actions, the Court prevents any constitutional challenge from being heard
    • By removing the Bill of Rights from the Constitution, the Court simplifies its interpretation
    • By interpreting the Constitution, the Court makes the balance of powers permanently unnecessary
    • By interpreting the Constitution and limiting government action that breaches it, the Court helps maintain the balance of powers

20. Which evaluation best supports the view that the Supreme Court's role is controversial?

    • Critics argue that the Court has never decided any constitutional question, which is why it is controversial
    • Critics argue that the Court is part of the executive branch, which is the cause of its controversy
    • Critics argue that the Court is elected by voters every four years, which makes it controversial
    • Critics argue that unelected justices should not decide contested political questions

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