Free Practice Quiz Question List

13. The Federal Judiciary and Public Policy Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 13. The Federal Judiciary and Public Policy, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions

Choose one

1 point

Which statement best describes the constitutional relationship between Article III and Congress in organizing the federal judiciary?

A
Article I establishes every federal court and Article III only regulates state courts.
B
Article III establishes the judicial power, while Congress structures much of the federal court system.
C
Congress has no authority over lower federal courts because Article III specifies their complete structure.
D
The president establishes lower federal courts through the appointments power.

Choose all

1 point

Which requirements generally help establish standing in a federal case? Select all that apply.

A
A concrete injury
B
Proof that Congress agrees with the plaintiff's policy position
C
A connection between the injury and the challenged government action
D
A likelihood that a favorable decision will provide a remedy

True or false

1 point

True or false: Article III generally prevents federal courts from issuing advisory opinions about hypothetical disputes.

A
True
B
False

Written response

1 point

What is the Latin legal term for the principle that encourages courts to follow established rules and prior decisions?

Fill in the blank

1 point

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Court relied on the to uphold Congress's authority to establish a national bank.

Choose one

1 point

Why does the Senate's advice-and-consent role function as a constitutional check in Supreme Court appointments?

A
It allows the Senate to appoint judges without a presidential nomination.
B
It limits the president to nominees already approved by the Supreme Court.
C
It prevents the president from controlling the federal judiciary alone by giving the Senate a confirmation role.
D
It requires every nominee to receive unanimous approval from state governors.

Written response

1 point

In what year was Marbury v. Madison decided? Enter the four-digit year.

True or false

1 point

True or false: Cooper v. Aaron held that state officials may disregard the Supreme Court's constitutional interpretation whenever they disagree with it.

A
True
B
False

Open ended

1 point

Explain one major argument supporting judicial review and one major criticism of expansive judicial review. Based on the material, why is the constitutional debate not fully resolved by choosing either judicial supremacy or legislative supremacy in every circumstance?

Choose one

1 point

A federal trial court is deciding a case governed by a controlling interpretation previously issued by a federal appeals court. Which concept describes the appeals court's authority over the trial court?

A
Horizontal precedent
B
Vertical precedent
C
A political question
D
Statutory ratification

Choose all

1 point

Which actions are among the ways Congress can respond to or shape the federal judiciary's policy influence? Select all that apply.

A
Amending statutes
B
Creating or modifying lower federal courts
C
Appointing Supreme Court justices without presidential nomination
D
Proposing constitutional amendments

Choose one

1 point

A person asks a federal court to decide whether a proposed government policy would be constitutional, but the policy has not affected the person and no concrete injury has occurred. Which constitutional principle most directly limits the court from deciding the request?

A
A court may issue an advisory opinion whenever a policy dispute is politically important.
B
A plaintiff must generally demonstrate a concrete injury that the court can remedy.
C
Congress must approve every individual lawsuit before a federal court may hear it.
D
Federal courts may decide any hypothetical dispute involving a federal statute.

Choose one

1 point

Why does the Senate’s role in confirming Supreme Court nominees function as a constitutional check on the president?

A
The Senate selects nominees before the president may evaluate them.
B
The president may appoint a justice without Senate participation if the nominee has judicial experience.
C
The Senate’s confirmation role serves as a constitutional check on presidential control of the judiciary.
D
The Senate may remove a sitting justice whenever it disagrees with a decision.

Choose one

1 point

A lower federal court is deciding a case governed by a controlling Supreme Court interpretation of the Constitution. How does vertical precedent generally affect the lower court’s decision?

A
A lower federal court must generally follow a controlling Supreme Court decision.
B
A Supreme Court justice must follow every prior decision without exception.
C
A state legislature must follow every interpretation issued by a trial court.
D
A lower court may disregard higher-court precedent whenever it prefers a different policy.

Choose one

1 point

The Supreme Court interprets an ambiguous federal statute in a way that Congress believes defeats the statute’s policy objective. Which response is generally available to Congress?

A
A statutory interpretation automatically becomes part of the Constitution.
B
Congress can never respond to a Supreme Court interpretation of a statute.
C
The president may revise the statute through an executive order alone.
D
Congress can generally amend the statute, subject to constitutional limits.

True or false

1 point

True or false: The Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education by itself fully implemented school desegregation throughout the United States.

A
True
B
False

Written response

1 point

In what year did the Supreme Court decide Marbury v. Madison, the case that established the foundation of judicial review?

Written response

1 point

What Latin legal term names the principle that encourages courts to follow established precedent so that similar cases receive similar treatment?

Choose one

1 point

Which conclusion best captures the constitutional significance of McCulloch v. Maryland?

A
It held that states may tax any federal instrumentality without limitation.
B
It upheld implied congressional authority and rejected a state tax that obstructed valid federal action.
C
It held that Congress may exercise only powers expressly listed word for word in the Constitution.
D
It held that federal courts may not review disputes involving state taxation.

Fill in the blank

1 point

A federal court resolves a constitutional dispute on the narrowest available ground, avoids deciding an additional constitutional question, and defers to an elected branch because the constitutional text permits more than one reasonable interpretation. This approach is most commonly described as .