Topic 7 - Judicial Branch Practice Test

The Framers stipulated that federal judges should be appointed, rather than elected, and serve for life because...?

• they felt public pressure to do so.
• they wanted judges to be able to make decisions based on their best judgment.
• they did not think people were knowledgeable enough to vote for judges.
• they wanted to be able to appoint their friends.

The type of jurisdiction shared by both Federal and State, missing from the middle section of this diagram, is known as...?

• Appellate
• Concurrent
• Exclusive
• Original

“The practice of senatorial courtesy gives great weight to the wishes of the senators from a State in which a federal judge is to serve.” This excerpt from the text describes how the Senate...?

• confirms any federal judge who serves in the State in which the president was born.
• shows courtesy to federal judges who have served in the Senate.
• considers the preferences of senators regarding judges serving in their State.
• ensures that every federal judge has a professional background from his or her State.

This excerpt from the text is the basis for which of the following traditions about the terms of federal judges? “The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour. . . ." —U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 1

• Federal judges remain in office until the officials who appointed them are no longer in power.
• Strict requirements for good conduct can lead to a federal judge's removal.
• Federal judges remain in office unless they are recalled by the popular vote of the people in their district.
• Judges in the constitutional courts are appointed for life and serve until they resign, retire, or die.

All of the following would fall under federal jurisdiction except a case in which...?

• a citizens’ group challenges a policy of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
• a citizen of Texas appeals a ruling on a State law made by a State court in Dallas.
• the City of New York charges an ambassador at the United Nations with a crime.
• a man in Florida sues the owner of a car dealership in Georgia over a recent car purchase.

In the federal system, a district court has the power to...?

• retry a case that was first decided by a State court.
• exercise original jurisdiction over a federal case.
• apply appellate jurisdiction to a federal case.
• determine if a lower court made an unconstitutional ruling on a case.

Which court does Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution specifically name?

• district court
• Supreme Court
• inferior court
• State court

If the U.S. Army were sued, the case would be heard by

• a civilian court.
• a military court.
• a State court.
• a federal court.

What kind of jurisdiction allows either a State or a federal court to hear a case?

• appellate jurisdiction
• concurrent jurisdiction
• exclusive jurisdiction
• original jurisdiction

Today, most Supreme Court justices come from

• the courts of appeals.
• the State courts.
• the U.S. House of Representatives.
• the U.S. Senate.