3A.4.5 Debates on the Supreme Court and civil rights Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Politics, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. What term describes the debate over whether Supreme Court justices act as neutral judges or politicians?

   • Activism versus restraint
   • Originalism versus living
   • Federal versus state
   • Political versus judicial

2. Living Constitution ideology is usually contrasted with which approach?

   • Corporatism
   • Originalism
   • Elitism
   • Pluralism

3. Which judicial philosophy interprets the US Constitution based on its original meaning when ratified?

   • Living Constitution
   • Originalism
   • Loose constructionism
   • Judicial activism

4. Which judicial philosophy views the US Constitution as an evolving document adapting to modern society?

   • Living Constitution
   • Textualism
   • Judicial restraint
   • Originalism

5. What term describes judges actively using their power to strike down laws and shape policy?

   • Stare decisis
   • Originalism
   • Judicial activism
   • Judicial restraint

6. Which factor is most commonly cited as evidence of the Supreme Court becoming increasingly political?

   • Unanimous court rulings
   • Use of certiorari
   • Partisan confirmation votes
   • Life tenure rules

7. Which constitutional provision protects US Supreme Court justices from electoral and political pressure?

   • Presidential veto
   • Congressional oversight
   • Life tenure
   • Term limits

8. In which 2013 case did the Supreme Court invalidate key provisions of the Voting Rights Act?

   • Roe v Wade
   • Brown v Board
   • Plessy v Ferguson
   • Shelby County v Holder

9. Why can the Supreme Court only rule on civil rights reactively?

   • Cannot enforce rulings
   • Requires presidential approval
   • Cannot initiate cases
   • Lacks veto power

10. Which body has the power to alter the Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction?

    • The Cabinet
    • State governors
    • Congress
    • The President

11. What is the main democratic critique of Supreme Court judicial review?

    • Justices lack training
    • Rulings are temporary
    • Trials are secret
    • Judges are unelected

12. What feature of the US Constitution encourages living constitution debates?

    • Frequent amendments
    • Strict word limits
    • Vague wording
    • Codified statutes

13. Which 1954 Supreme Court ruling outlawed racial segregation in public schools?

    • Plessy v Ferguson
    • Brown v Board
    • Obergefell v Hodges
    • Roe v Wade

14. What did the Supreme Court decide in Dred Scott v Sandford (1857)?

    • Expanded voting rights
    • Denied Black citizenship
    • Ended slavery
    • Banned segregation

15. What characterises Supreme Court decisions made on the shadow docket?

    • Public televised debates
    • Unanimous landmark rulings
    • Full oral arguments
    • Emergency unsigned orders

16. What primary factor influences public perception of Supreme Court legitimacy?

    • Perceived neutrality
    • Justice salaries
    • Number of clerks
    • Courtroom size

17. Which 1992 case explicitly reaffirmed constitutional abortion rights using stare decisis?

    • Marbury v Madison
    • Planned Parenthood v Casey
    • Roe v Wade
    • Dred Scott v Sandford

18. What key democratic principle is challenged by the power of judicial review?

    • Bicameralism
    • Majoritarian democracy
    • Separation of powers
    • Federalism

19. Why do supporters defend the Supreme Court's active role in civil rights?

    • Reduces federal debt
    • Speeds up legislation
    • Increases voter turnout
    • Protects minority rights

20. How has the Supreme Court's stance on civil rights varied historically?

    • Always expanding
    • Expanded and restricted
    • Strictly static
    • Always restricting

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