All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Who nominates U.S. Supreme Court justices?
Answer: The President of the United States. Presidential nomination requires Senate confirmation for appointment.
Flashcard 2: Which body confirms Supreme Court nominations?
Answer: The U.S. Senate. Provides advice and consent as part of the appointment process.
Flashcard 3: What is the term length for a Supreme Court Justice?
Answer: Lifetime tenure, pending good behavior. Ensures judicial independence from political pressure and electoral cycles.
Flashcard 4: How many justices are on the U.S. Supreme Court?
Answer: Nine justices. Set by Congress in 1869, though the Constitution doesn't specify the number.
Flashcard 5: Identify the highest court in the United States.
Answer: The Supreme Court of the United States. Has final appellate jurisdiction over all federal and constitutional questions.
Flashcard 6: What is judicial review?
Answer: The power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional. Established in Marbury v. Madison, allowing courts to check legislative and executive power.
Flashcard 7: Which case addressed racial quotas in university admissions?
Answer: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978). Allowed race as one factor but prohibited strict quotas.
Flashcard 8: Who was the first Chief Justice of the United States?
Answer: John Jay. Appointed by George Washington, served from 1789 to 1795.
Flashcard 9: Identify the doctrine established in the case of Baker v. Carr.
Answer: The principle of 'one person, one vote'. Required equal population in legislative districts for fair representation.
Flashcard 10: Which case involved the Pentagon Papers and press freedom?
Answer: New York Times Co. v. United States (1971). Upheld press freedom against prior restraint by government.
Flashcard 11: Which case established the principle of 'separate but equal'?
Answer: Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). Upheld racial segregation in public facilities for nearly 60 years.
Flashcard 12: Which case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson?
Answer: Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Declared separate educational facilities inherently unequal and unconstitutional.
Flashcard 13: What does the term 'amicus curiae' mean?
Answer: A 'friend of the court' brief offering information. Submitted by interested parties not directly involved in the case.
Flashcard 14: What is judicial activism?
Answer: Judicial rulings based on personal views rather than law. Critics argue this approach exceeds proper judicial authority.
Flashcard 15: What does the term 'in forma pauperis' signify?
Answer: Permission to proceed without court fees due to indigence. Latin term allowing poor defendants to proceed without paying fees.
Flashcard 16: What is a concurring opinion?
Answer: An opinion that agrees with the majority but for different reasons. Allows justices to explain their reasoning while supporting the outcome.
Flashcard 17: What is a dissenting opinion?
Answer: An opinion that disagrees with the majority decision. Often influences future legal development and constitutional interpretation.
Flashcard 18: Which Supreme Court case upheld the internment of Japanese Americans?
Answer: Korematsu v. United States (1944). Upheld wartime executive power despite civil liberties violations.
Flashcard 19: What is the 'rule of four' in the Supreme Court?
Answer: Four justices must agree to grant certiorari. Minimum votes needed to accept a case for Supreme Court review.
Flashcard 20: Identify the primary function of the judicial branch.
Answer: To interpret and apply the law. Ensures laws comply with the Constitution through judicial review.
Flashcard 21: Which case established the exclusionary rule?
Answer: Mapp v. Ohio (1961). Applied Fourth Amendment protections to state criminal proceedings.
Flashcard 22: Identify the principle established in McCulloch v. Maryland.
Answer: Federal laws are supreme over state laws. Established federal supremacy and implied powers doctrine.
Flashcard 23: Which case legalized same-sex marriage nationwide?
Answer: Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). Extended Fourteenth Amendment equal protection to marriage rights.
Flashcard 24: Which case established the right to privacy in contraceptive use?
Answer: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965). Found privacy rights in penumbras of other constitutional amendments.
Flashcard 25: What is a landmark decision?
Answer: A court decision that establishes significant new legal principles. Creates binding precedent and shapes constitutional interpretation.
Flashcard 26: Which case determined the outcome of the 2000 presidential election?
Answer: Bush v. Gore (2000). Halted Florida recount, effectively deciding the presidential election.
Flashcard 27: Identify the significance of Miranda v. Arizona.
Answer: It established Miranda rights for detained suspects. Required police to inform suspects of Fifth Amendment rights.
Flashcard 28: Which case addressed racial quotas in university admissions?
Answer: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978). Allowed race as one factor but prohibited strict quotas.
Flashcard 29: Which Article of the Constitution establishes the judicial branch?
Answer: Article III. Creates the federal court system and outlines judicial powers.
Flashcard 30: Which body confirms Supreme Court nominations?
Answer: The U.S. Senate. Provides advice and consent as part of the appointment process.