AP / DC Government
Chapter 16 Review – Federal Courts
Edwards Text
Terms to Know
Standing
Class Action
Justiciable
Appellate Jurisdiction
Amicus curiae
Senatorial Courtesy
Solicitor General
Senatorial Courtesy
Precedent
stare decisis
habeas corpus
Writ of certiorari
Opinion
Concurring Opinion
Dissenting Opinion
Strict Interpretation
Loose Interpretation
Original Intent
Judicial Review
Warren Court
Burger Court
Rehnquist Court
Roberts Court
Judicial Activism
Marshall Court
Amicus Curiae
Criminal Law
Constitutional Courts
Judicial Activism
Judicial Restraint
Confirmation
Rule of Four
American Bar Association
Cases and People to Know
Plessy v. Ferguson
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Marbury v. Madison
United States v. Nixon Thurgood Marshall
Sandra Day O’Connor
Sonia Sotomayor
John G. Roberts, Jr.
John Marshall
Gibbons v. Ogden
McCulloch v. Maryland
Roe v. Wade
Miranda v. Arizona
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Review
1. Process for selecting a case to be heard by the Supreme Court – describe
a. Petition for writ
b. Review by clerks
c. Conference
d. Rule of Four
e. Vote
f. Grant writ of certiorari
AP / DC Government
Chapter 16 Review – Federal Courts
Edwards Text
2. Process for deciding cases by Supreme Court – describe
a. Grant writ of certiorari
b. Briefs and amicus curiae
c. Oral Arguments
d. Conference
e. Vote
f. Assign Opinion
g. Consensus Building
h. Release Opinion / Concurring Opinions / Dissenting Opinion
3. How many Federal Courts of Appeal and Federal District Courts are there currently?
4. How many justices serve on the Supreme Court? What is the gender and ethnic breakdown of
the current Supreme Court?
5. Who is currently the swing vote on the Court? Which judges make up the liberal bloc? The
conservative bloc?
6. Firsts – who was the first woman on the Court? African American? Latino?
7. What are the two groups or individuals who are litigants in a trial?
8. What are the two types of law practiced in the federal court system in the United States? What
is the difference?
9. What is the term for a federal judge serving in one of the constitutional courts?
10. In what part of the Constitution is the power of the federal courts found?
11. What law created the basic structure for the federal court system?
12. What is the significance of standing in a court case?
13. In what ways is the population of attorneys in the US different from the general population?
14. What interest group has one of the most successful records when it comes to successfully
litigating court cases before the Supreme Court; primarily in the area of civil rights?
15. In what areas does the Supreme Court hold original jurisdiction?
16. What is the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction?
17. Approximately what percentage of cases that file for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court
receive the writ? How many does this approximately work out to per year?
18. Texas is a part of which federal circuit court of appeals? Where is it located?
19. Which circuit court of appeals is known as the most liberal court?
20. Which circuit court of appeals is considered to be a training ground for judges who aspire to be
members of the Supreme Court?
21. Who is the current Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court?
22. What are the benefits of the US Supreme Court?
23. What are the only ways in which the Supreme Court will hear cases from state courts?
24. What is senatorial courtesy? How does it differ between appointees to the district courts and
the courts of appeals? Does this apply to Supreme Court nominees?
25. What role do clerks play in justices selecting cases to grant certiorari?
26. What is the number one priority of presidents when selecting nominees for the Supreme Court
and lower courts?
27. In what situations might the confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee be endangered?
AP / DC Government
Chapter 16 Review – Federal Courts
Edwards Text
28. What role does the Senate Judiciary Committee play in appointment of federal judges? What is
the role of the Senate?
29. Until 2010, which president had appointed a majority of members of the Supreme Court?
30. Who does the president primarily rely on to screen the list of potential nominees for the
Supreme Court and lower federal courts?
31. How many nominations of there been to the Supreme Court? How many justices? How many
failed nominations?
32. What percentage of nominations to the Supreme Court normally fail?
33. What role does the American Bar Association play in the nomination process for justices to the
Supreme Court?
34. What kinds of political factors influence the president’s appointments to the judiciary?
35. How many of the justices of the Supreme Court have been white men?
36. What are the religions of the current US Supreme Court justices? What is significant about this?
37. What is significant about the “rule of four” when deciding to grant a writ of certiorari?
38. How did President Franklin Roosevelt try to manipulate the Court during his presidency? What
constitutional concerns did this raise?
39. In what way does it appear that members of the federal bench also play the game of politics
with appointments?
40. Which president’s (after Franklin Roosevelt) appointments turned the Supreme Court in a more
conservative direction from which it has yet to move?
41. How did the Harvard Law Review characterize judicial decision making?
42. What role does the solicitor general play in the court process and what is their relationship with
the Supreme Court?
43. What is the role of precedent and stare decisis in making decisions on cases?
44. In what ways may dissenting opinions be often considered blue prints?
45. What are the major characteristics of the Marshall Court, Warren Court, Berger Court, and the
Rehnquist Court?
46. What are “political questions” and why are they avoided by the courts?
47. Explain the difference between judicial restraint and judicial activism? Can both liberals and
conservatives be advocates of judicial activism?
48. Explain the difference between “loose constructionism” and “strict constructionism”.