3A.4.1 Nature and role of the Supreme Court Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Politics, Unit 3

The 20 questions

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

   • Twelve
   • Nine
   • Five
   • Seven

2. Which 1803 case established the principle of judicial review in the US?

   • Marbury v Madison
   • McCulloch v Maryland
   • Fletcher v Peck
   • Gibbons v Ogden

3. What status is given to a US law that conflicts with the Constitution?

   • Temporarily suspended
   • It is void
   • Subject to veto
   • Fully enforceable

4. What power lets the US Supreme Court declare laws unconstitutional?

   • Stare decisis
   • Originalism
   • Judicial neutrality
   • Judicial review

5. Which constitutional feature most directly protects US Supreme Court judges' independence?

   • Congressional approval
   • Life tenure
   • Presidential oversight
   • Electoral mandates

6. Which term describes judges deciding cases without political bias or personal preference?

   • Judicial independence
   • Judicial neutrality
   • Judicial restraint
   • Judicial activism

7. What legal order requires a lower court to deliver records for US Supreme Court review?

   • Writ of certiorari
   • Habeas corpus
   • Injunction
   • Mandamus

8. What type of jurisdiction accounts for most US Supreme Court cases?

   • Concurrent jurisdiction
   • Exclusive jurisdiction
   • Appellate jurisdiction
   • Original jurisdiction

9. How do most state court appeals reach the US Supreme Court?

   • Congressional vote
   • Presidential referral
   • Automatic appeal
   • Writ of certiorari

10. Which legal principle requires US courts to follow established precedents?

    • Habeas corpus
    • Obiter dicta
    • Certiorari
    • Stare decisis

11. Originalist judges interpret the US Constitution based on its meaning when...

    • It was amended
    • It is applied
    • It was written
    • Cases are argued

12. Which constitutional clause is most used by loose constructionists to justify implied powers?

    • Due process
    • Necessary and proper
    • Free exercise
    • Equal protection

13. How can Congress directly overturn a US Supreme Court statutory interpretation?

    • Judicial review
    • Executive order
    • Pass new legislation
    • Constitutional amendment

14. What proportion of US states must ratify a proposed constitutional amendment?

    • Two thirds
    • Three quarters
    • Simple majority
    • One half

15. Which branch of US government enforces US Supreme Court decisions?

    • The legislature
    • The executive
    • The judiciary
    • State governors

16. Why do critics describe US Supreme Court judicial review as undemocratic?

    • Cases cost money
    • Judges serve briefly
    • Judges are unelected
    • Rulings need approval

17. What is the legal effect of a 5-4 Supreme Court majority ruling?

    • Sets binding precedent
    • Requires presidential consent
    • Triggers instant retrial
    • Binds single state

18. Which term describes judges who strike down laws only in clear cases and defer to elected branches?

    • Originalism
    • Strict constructionism
    • Judicial activism
    • Judicial restraint

19. Which term describes judges actively shaping policy through constitutional rulings?

    • Judicial restraint
    • Judicial activism
    • Stare decisis
    • Originalism

20. Judicial review is a key example of which principle of US government?

    • Federalism
    • Popular sovereignty
    • Checks and balances
    • Bicameralism

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