Chapter 4 - 1/7 - The nature and role of the Supreme Court Flashcards

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1
Q

What is needed to confirm a Supreme Court nomination?

A

A simple majority in the Senate.

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2
Q

What is the only way a Supreme Court Justice can be removed?

A

Through impeachment; all appointments are otherwise for life.

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3
Q

Who is responsible for bringing impeachment charges?

A

The House of Representatives.

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4
Q

Who tries all charges of impeachment and what is needed to convict someone?

A

The Senate; a 2/3 majority is needed to convict and remove someone from office.

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5
Q

How many Justices have been successfully impeached?

A

None

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6
Q

What did the Judiciary Act do?

A

Set up a system of lower federal courts.

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7
Q

When was the Judiciary Act passed?

A

1789

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8
Q

What are the courts of appeal known as?

A

Circuit courts

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9
Q

How many circuit courts are there, as created by the Judiciary Act?

A

13

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10
Q

What are trial courts known as?

A

District courts

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11
Q

How many district courts are there, as created by the Judiciary Act?

A

94

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12
Q

What cases do the Supreme Court hear?

A

Those cases they decide are of major constitutional importance; there is no automatic right to have your case heard by the Supreme Court.

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13
Q

How many Justices are there?

A

9 - 8 associate justices and 1 chief justice.

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14
Q

What did Montesquieu argue?

A

‘there is no liberty if the judiciary power be not separated’

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15
Q

Who is the current Chief Justice?

A

John Roberts

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16
Q

Why does the fact the Supreme Court has always had 9 judges, even though Congress can change that, reinforce its independence?

A

It shows that Congress or even the executive have not packed the Court with their allies.

17
Q

What two things does Article III include that protects the independence of the Supreme Court?

A
  • Justices are guaranteed the role for life, even if Congress or the executive disagree with their judgements.
  • Their salaries are protected so money cannot be used as leverage.
18
Q

What is the ABA?

A

American Bar Association - it is an independent interest group that rates the suitability of every nomination to the Supreme Court, providing a non-political quality control.

19
Q

What was the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill?

A

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s plan to pack the Supreme Court.

20
Q

When was the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill?

A

1937

21
Q

What did the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill propose to do?

A

Appoint a new Supreme Court Justice every time a sitting Justice reached the age of 70 and failed to retire.

22
Q

What happened to the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill?

A

A revised form of the Bill was eventually passed in 1937 but did not include the ‘court-packing’ plans of F.D.R.

23
Q

Who has the power to change the number of Justices on the Supreme Court?

A

Congress, but they never have.

24
Q

What is needed to bring a case of impeachment in the House?

A

A simple majority.

25
Q

When was Justice Samuel Chase impeached by the House?

A

1804

26
Q

Even though the Supreme Court has the power to make rulings, what can it then NOT do?

A

Enforce those rulings, undermining its independence.

27
Q

Who were the Little Rock Nine?

A

Nine black students enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in 1957 that were prevented from attending the school by the state governor.

28
Q

What did Dwight D. Eisenhower do to the Little Rock Nine?

A

He sent in the Army to protect them and ensured the state followed the Supreme Court ruling of 1954 to end segregation in schools.

29
Q

What was the Supreme Court case that ended segregation in schools that President Eisenhower had to enforce in Little Rock?

A

Brown v. Board of Education 1954

30
Q

How does the role of the legislature undermine the judiciary’s independence?

A
  • Congress can impeach.
  • Congress can change the number of justices
  • The Senate must confirm appointments, putting politicians at the heart of choosing the composition of the court.
31
Q

What is judicial review?

A

The power of the Supreme Court to declare Acts of Congress and state governments, and actions of the executive or state governments unconstitutional.

32
Q

Where and when is judicial review from?

A

It is not in the Constitution; it was ‘found’ in the case of Marbury v Madison, 1803.

33
Q

When did the Supreme Court first declare a state law unconstitutional?

A

In the case of Fletcher v Peck, 1810.

34
Q

What is the difference between Marbury v Madison and Fletcher v Peck?

A

MvM was an Act of Congress; FvP was a state law.

35
Q

What did Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes say of the role of the Supreme Court?

A

‘We are under a Constitution, but the Constitution is what the judges say it is.’

36
Q

Why is it said the Supreme Court has a quasi-legislative function?

A

The power of judicial review can update the Constitution and their rulings have the effect of a law passed by Congress.

37
Q

What was the case of Marbury v Madison about?

A

Outgoing president John Adams appointed many federal judges to frustrate the incoming Thomas Jefferson. His last appointment, William Marbury, did not receive his confirmation before Jefferson took office and Jefferson then order his Secretary of State, John Madison, to reverse the appointment, causing Marbury to petition the Supreme Court. They ruled in favour of Marbury, but could not force Madison to comply with the ruling because of a part of the Judiciary Act 1789. They therefore ‘struck down’ that part of the Judiciary Act and declared it unconstitutional, and in doing so found the power of judicial review.

38
Q

What was the case of Fletcher v Peck?

A

The State of Georgia sold 35 million acres of land off very cheaply in 1795 and it was discovered that they had been bribed to do so. The land sales were repealed in 1976 but John Peck, who had received land fraudulently in 1795, sold it on when he had no right to do so to Robert Fletcher. When Fletcher found out what Peck had done he sued him. When the Supreme Court heard the case they ruled that the repeal of the 1795 state law in 1796 had been unconstitutional and stuck it down, and so found their ability to rule on state laws as well as federal laws.