Exam 14: The Federal Courts

What are the strengths and weaknesses of judicial restraint and judicial activism? To what extent is each of these associated with particular political ideologies (i.e.,liberal or conservative)?

What is the difference between judicial activism and judicial restraint?

Explain the process of senatorial courtesy.

More than 90 percent of court cases begin and end in the court of original jurisdiction.

Courts with appellate jurisdiction

President George W.Bush nominated which failed Supreme Court nominee?

Which of the following is NOT a function of the United States solicitor general's office?

In Federalist No.78,Alexander Hamilton claimed the judiciary would be the "least dangerous branch." Was Hamilton right or wrong? Could it be that the Court has in fact become the most dangerous branch?

Class action suits

The unwritten tradition whereby nominations for state-level federal court judicial posts are not confirmed if they are opposed by a senator of the president's party from the state in which the nominee will serve is known as amicus curiae.

Proponents of judicial activism permit judges to make bold policy decisions and believe the court may properly alleviate presiding needs that are unmet by the majoritarian legislative process.

The requirement that cases must be capable of being settled as a matter of law rather than on other grounds is known as

In what ways do interest groups try to influence the courts?

The purpose of diversity of citizenship cases is to protect against possible bias of a state court in favor of a citizen from that state.

The judicial interpretation of an act of Congress is called

Merely being a taxpayer and being opposed to a law does not provide the standing necessary to challenge that law in court except in cases pertaining to

Describe how federal judges and justices are chosen.What factors influence the selection process? What are the general characteristics of the Supreme Court justices chosen by this process?

President Eisenhower's selection of Earl Warren and William Brennan to the Supreme Court is an example of

Explain the process through which cases reach the Supreme Court through the Court's handing down of a decision.

Legislative courts are created by Congress for special purposes and include the Court of Military Appeals,the Court of Claims,and Tax Court.