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Most importantly, the Supreme Court is called the High Court because it is the
A) first court in which most of the important federal cases are heard.
B) only court established by the Constitution.
C) last court in which federal questions can be decided.
D) best court in the country.
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last court in which federal questions can be decided
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Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes once said that the Constitution "means what the judges say it means." He was defining the Supreme Court’s
A) exclusive jurisdiction.
B) power of judicial review.
C) original jurisdiction.
D) right to use the writ of certiorari.
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power of judicial review
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The purposes of the 12 federal courts of appeals include all of the following EXCEPT:
A) to relieve the work load of the Supreme Court.
B) to hear appeals from the district courts.
C) to consider cases from several regulatory agencies.
D) to hear original cases that have bypassed lower courts.
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to hear original cases that have bypassed lower courts
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Judges of the constitutional courts are appointed
A) for 12-year terms.
B) for 15-year terms.
C) for terms varying from four to eight years.
D) for life
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for life
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Which of the following federal courts exercises both original and appellate jurisdiction?
A) district court
B) court of appeals
C) the Supreme Court
D) the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
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the Supreme Court
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Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over all of the following types of cases EXCEPT cases involving
A) the infringement of a copyright.
B) a person accused of a federal crime.
C) citizens of different States.
D) a foreign government official.
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citizens of different States
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The MOST IMPORTANT reason why the United States needed a national court system was that
A) each State was interpreting laws for itself.
B) people were ignoring the decisions of the State courts.
C) Congress had too much power to interpret laws.
D) laws in the Constitution are not clearly stated.
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each State was interpreting laws for itself
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Which statement about differences between constitutional courts and special courts is TRUE?
A) Special courts have special powers granted under Article III.
B) Special courts hear a much narrower range of cases.
C) Only constitutional courts hear cases arising out of expressed congressional powers.
D) Constitutional courts do not exercise broad judicial power.
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Special courts hear a much narrower range of cases
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Which of the following could be the subject of a criminal case tried in federal court?
A) counterfeiting
B) bankruptcy
C) civil rights
D) labor relations
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counterfeiting
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The federal courts can hear and decide cases on the basis of
A) the amount of money or number of defendants.
B) the subject matter or people affected by the case.
C) appeals from States and from courts of appeals.
D) diverse citizenship or human interest.
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the subject matter or people affected by the case
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The independence of the judicial branch is ensured by the
A) manner in which federal judges are chosen.
B) all of the above.
C) salaries of federal judges.
D) terms federal judges serve
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all of the above
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Which of the following statements about the Supreme Court is FALSE?
A) All of the above statements are false.
B) Cases can reach the Supreme Court by certificate and writ of certiorari.
C) The Supreme Court exercises both original and appellate jurisdiction.
D) The Supreme Court only reads briefs; it does not hear oral arguments.
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The Supreme Court only reads briefs; it does not hear oral arguments
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The MOST accurate reason that the Court of International Trade is classified as a constitutional court rather than a special court is that
A) it exercises the broad "judicial power of the United States."
B) it replaced the Board of United States General Appraisers and the Court of Customs.
C) the cases it decides can never reach appeals courts or the Supreme Court.
D) it operates quite differently than special courts, such as the territorial courts or the Court of Military Appeals.
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it exercises the broad "judicial power of the United States."
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One weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that
A) the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court was not clearly defined.
B) it did not provide for a national judiciary.
C) Congress could create only a few lower federal courts.
D) it established a dual court system.
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it did not provide for a national judiciary
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Which of the following is a TRUE statement about a writ of certiorari?
A) The Supreme Court grants cert in a limited numbers of instances.
B) Only a defendant can petition for it.
C) Only a plaintiff can petition for it.
D) The Supreme Court must grant cert for all requests.
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The Supreme Court grants cert in a limited numbers of instances
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The power of judicial review is held
A) by most federal and State courts.
B) exclusively by the Supreme Court.
C) only by federal courts.
D) only by courts with appellate jurisdiction.
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by most federal and State courts
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Which of the following statements about federal judges is TRUE?
A) They are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
B) They must have had previous service as State court judges or attorneys.
C) All of the above are true.
D) They serve a fixed term of office, set by Congress.
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They are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate
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The federal officers who make arrests, secure jurors, and serve legal papers are
A) deputy clerks.
B) magistrates.
C) United States attorneys.
D) marshals
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marshals
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The list of cases to be heard by a court is called a
A) writ of certiorari.
B) certificate.
C) docket.
D) civil case list
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docket
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Legal cases in the District of Columbia and the territories that belong to the United States are settled in:
A) a system based on mediation and arbitration rather than legal confrontation.
B) a separate system of courts for each territory and each district like those at the State and federal levels.
C) the courts of the State nearest the district or territory.
D) a system of local courts like those in a city or town
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a separate system of courts for each territory and each district like those at the State and federal levels
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The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit differs from the other 12 federal courts of appeals because it
A) does not hear appeals from regulatory agencies.
B) only hears appeals from the Supreme Court.
C) hears cases from across the country.
D) can have original jurisdiction over federal cases.
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hears cases from across the country
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The United States Tax Court hears
A) all of the above.
B) no cases generated by the Internal Revenue Service.
C) criminal cases.
D) civil cases
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civil cases NOT ALL OF THE ABOVE
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The courts of appeals hear cases that have been appealed from
A) the district courts.
B) the decisions of federal regulatory agencies.
C) the U.S. Tax Court.
D) all of the above.
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all of the above
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Which federal court has original jurisdiction over MOST cases heard in federal court?
A) court of appeals
B) the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
C) the Supreme Court
D) district court
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district court
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Jurisdiction DIRECTLY limits
A) how many witnesses may be called by the defendant.
B) when a case may be heard.
C) the number of times a case may be appealed.
D) which court may decide a case.
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which court may decide a case
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The court that first hears a case is said to have
A) original jurisdiction.
B) exclusive jurisdiction.
C) concurrent jurisdiction.
D) appellate jurisdiction.
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original jurisdiction
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The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison
A) established the Court’s power of judicial review.
B) none of the above.
C) enabled William Marbury to become a justice of the peace.
D) stripped the President of his power to appoint federal judges.
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established the Court’s power of judicial review
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Which of the following are all special courts?
A) U.S. Tax Court, Court of International Trade, Court of Federal Claims
B) Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Tax Court
C) Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Tax Court, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
D) Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
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Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Tax Court, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
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A federal court has jurisdiction over a case if
A) all of the above.
B) a citizen of one State is suing a citizen from another State.
C) a State is suing a resident of another State.
D) a State is suing another State.
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all of the above
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Which one of the following duties is NOT performed by a United States magistrate?
A) recording court proceedings
B) setting bail
C) issuing arrest warrants
D) trying some cases concerning minor offenses
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recording court proceedings
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Which of the following statements does NOT accurately describe federal district courts?
A) They are the principal trial courts in the federal system.
B) They handle both civil and criminal cases.
C) Like courts of appeals, they have the right to listen to appeals.
D) Like the Supreme Court, they can have original jurisdiction
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Like courts of appeals, they have the right to listen to appeals
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The term of office for constitutional court judges is determined by
A) Congress.
B) the Constitution.
C) the Department of Justice.
D) the President.
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the Constitution
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All of the following statements about the Court of Federal Claims are true EXCEPT:
A) Congress almost always appropriates money to satisfy upheld claims.
B) Decisions from the Court of Federal Claims cannot be appealed.
C) Judges for the Court of Federal Claims are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate.
D) The Court of Federal Claims hears trials involving claims for damages against the Federal Government.
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Decisions from the Court of Federal Claims cannot be appealed
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