1. One of the differences between criminal law and civil law is that in civil law…
A. The government cannot be one of the litigants.
B. The case can not be appealed.
C. There is no charge that a law has been violated.
D. There is no jury.

2. The litigant who brings charges against an individual, corporation, or government in a civil or criminal court case is called the…
A. Defendant.
B. Plaintiff.
C. Counsel.
D. Prosecutor.

3. One constraint on federal courts is that they may decide only…
A. Justiciable disputes
B. Constitutional issues
C. Interstate conflicts.
D. Appellate cases.

4. Courts with appellate jurisdiction…
A. Have no original jurisdiction.
B. Determine the facts about a case.
C. Review the legal issues involved in a case.
D. Hear only criminal cases.

5. The U. S. Supreme Court’s jurisdiction includes…
A. Original jurisdiction in cases involving citizens from one state only it it involves a federal question.
B. Original jurisdiction only in cases involving foreign diplomats.
C. Only appellate jurisdiction.
D. Appellate jurisdiction from both state and federal courts.

6. Which of the following plays the greatest role in the selection of Supreme Court justices?
A. The President
B. Senators
C. The candidates themselves
D. The ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary

7. Supreme Court nominations are likely to run into trouble when the…
A. Nominee is conservative.
B. Nominee comes from a southern state.
C. Nomination is made at the end of a president’s term.
D. Nomination is made without prior approval of the senators from the nominee’s state.

8. One of the most important factors that brings potential federal judges to the attention of senators and the Department of Justice is their…
A. Stand on issues.
B. Involvement in partisan politics.
C. Ideological neutrality.
D. Total honesty and integrity.

9. The most important factors influencing the selection of judges and justices appears to be…
A. Geography and religion.
B. Race and gender.
C. Judicial and elective experience.
D. Ideology and partisanship.

10. Supreme Court justices often try to time their retirement…
A. So that a president with compatible views will choose their successor.
B. Near election time so that the Supreme Court nomination becomes an election issue.
C. In such a way as to maximize their historical impact.
D. After a major court case so as to maximize their policy impact.

11. Principle reasons for the Court’s choosing to hear a case would include each of the following EXCEPT…
A. Cases that involve major issues, like civil liberties.
B. Conflicts between different lower courts on the interpretation of federal law.
C. Politically hot and divisive cases.
D. Disagreements between a majority of the Supreme Court and lower court decisions.

12. A “per curiam decision” is a…
A. Decision by the court not to hear a case.
B. Written opinion of a case.
C. Decision that can be used as a precedent.
D. Decision without explanation.

13. An “amicus curiae brief” may be submitted by…
A. Groups that are interested in the outcome of a case but are not formal litigants.
B. Lawyers representing each side of a case.
C. The actual litigants in a case.
D. The chief justice.

14. An opinion written to stress a different constitutional or legal basis for the judgment is called a…
A. Majority opinion.
B. Minority opinion.
C. Dissenting opinion.
D. Concurring opinion.

15. Court decisions…
A. Are self-implementing.
B. Are enforced through judicial implementation.
C. Automatically go into effect once handed down.
D. Depend on other institutions of government for enforcement.

16. The case of Marburry v. Madison (1803) established the Supreme Court’s…
A. Power of judicial review.
B. Use of writs of certiorari.
C. Application of the principle of stare decisis.
D. Power to expand its original jurisdiction.

17. In the shift from the Warren Court to the Burger Court, the Supreme Court became more…
A. Conservative.
B. Liberal.
C. Activist.
D. None of the Above.

18. Advocates of judicial activism…
A. Believe the role of the Court should be one of referee.
B. Emphasize that the courts may alleviate pressing needs left unmet by the majoritarian political process.
C. Tend to be ideologically liberal.
D. Question the qualifications of judges for making policy decisions.

19. When given a choice, the courts are least likely to decide a case on the basis…
A. Jurisdiction.
B. Mootness.
C. The Constitution.
D. Standing.

20. Cases that involve statutory construction…
A. Are usually precedent-setting.
B. Involve policy issues.
C. Can be overturned by Congress by clarifying an existing law.
D. Can only be changed through a constitutional amendment.