Justice of the Supreme Court

Question 1

Since when has the number of justices, 9, remained unchanged?

Answer 1

1869

Question 2

What is the phrase for the Justice being office holders?

Answer 2

They hold office for life “during good behaviour”

Question 3

What is the appointment of a justice a way for the president to create?

Answer 3

A legacy

Question 4

What is the average frequency with which the President is able to appoint a Justice?

Answer 4

2 years

Question 5

How many did Obama appoint?

Answer 5

2

Question 6

Who made no appointments?

Answer 6

carter

Question 7

Between which two years were no appointments made?

Answer 7

1994 and 2005

Question 8

What are the first two steps of the nomination process?

Answer 8

1) Presidential aides draw ups candidate shortlist and candidates are subject to rigorous interviews and a background check by the FBI
2) President then announces his choice at a public gathering at the white house

Question 9

What happens after the president announced his choice at the white house?

Answer 9

American Bar Association offer rating on the qualification

Question 10

What shows the importance of the American Bar Association?

Answer 10

Clarence Thomas is the only nominee to have survived anything less than a ‘well qualified’ rating. He got ‘qualified’

Question 11

What do the Senate Judicial committee vote on after they have held a hearing?

Answer 11

Whether to recommend the nomination

Question 12

What kind of majority is needed on the senate floor to confirm the appointment?

Answer 12

Simple majority

Question 13

What are the four pools of appointment?

Answer 13

1) federal appeals court
2) state courts
3) academia
4) executive branch

Question 14

Which nominee came from the federal appeals court pool?

Answer 14

Sonia Sotomayor

Question 15

Form which two pools did Elena Kagan come from?

Answer 15

Executive branch and academia

Question 16

What is the ranking of the court of appeal that means that they are a pool of recruitment?

Answer 16

Tier below the supreme court

Question 17

What about the fact that the court of appeal is the tier below the supreme court makes the justices strong potential appointees?

Answer 17

They will ahem had experience of all major cases that will have been passed to the supreme court

Question 18

States have their own what (2) for recruitment to the supreme court?

Answer 18

State supreme courts and courts of appeal

Question 19

Why does the fact that each state has their own supreme court and court of appeal mean that they are good pools of recruitment?

Answer 19

They will have expertise with dealing with constitutional cases as each state has its own constitution

Question 20

Who were the two Bush successful appoitnemtns and the one who withdrew?

Answer 20

john roberts
Samuel Alito
and Harriet Mires withdrew

Question 21

Fundamentally, Harriet Mires was too close to who?

Answer 21

Bush

Question 22

Why was Mires too close to Bush?

Answer 22

She had headed the Texas state lottery and headed campaigns for him in 2000 before becoming his White House counsel

Question 23

When was Mires nominated and who was she nominated to replace?

Answer 23

2005 nominated to replaced sandra day o’conner

Question 24

what did Mires lack any form of?

Answer 24

Judicial experience

Question 25

why was Mires bad from the perceptive of the GOP?

Answer 25

Republicans doubted her understanding of constitutional law

Question 26

Why was Mires bad from the perceptive of the Democrats?

Answer 26

They thought she was only nominated because of her friendship with Bush

Question 27

How did Roberts claim to see his role?

Answer 27

That of an umpire

Question 28

What did Roberts say about himself?

Answer 28

I have no platform, judges are not politicians

Question 29

Who was Samuel Alito replacing and what was the ideological difference?

Answer 29

Samuel Alito was known conservative replacing centrist O’Connor

Question 30

Who are the two Obama Appointments?

Answer 30

Sonia Sotomayer and Elena Kagan

Question 31

Who did Sonia Sotomayer replace?

Answer 31

The surprisingly liberal David Souter, a Bush senior appointee

Question 32

Who did Elena Kagan replace?

Answer 32

The liberalish John Paul Stevens, appointed by ford

Question 33

How many potential justices have the senate ever rejected?

Answer 33

12 since 1789

Question 34

Who was the most recent rejection?

Answer 34

Robert bark in 1987

Question 35

Who are the two nominees that Nixon lost in two years?

Answer 35

Haynsworth 1969

Carswell 1970

Question 36

What would a president look for in a judge?

Answer 36

Someone who shares their judicial philosophy

Question 37

How does a loose constructionist relate to the framers?

Answer 37

looks at the intent of the framers then tries to apply that in the context

Question 38

How does a strict constructionist relate to the framers?

Answer 38

focus on the text and language of the framers

Question 39

For a loose constructionist, what is the key to interpretation?

Answer 39

Looking at the law’s spirit, purpose and essence, not the exact letter of the law

Question 40

Which type of constructionist has a better reputation for safeguarding individual liberties?

Answer 40

Loose

Question 41

Which type of constructionist has a tendency to favour state government over federal government?

Answer 41

Strict

Question 42

The principles of the constitution are what to a strict constructionist?

Answer 42

Fixed

Question 43

Give an example of a swing justice?

Answer 43

Anthony kennedy

Question 44

The court’s division over which case demonstrates the split between loose and strict constructionists?

Answer 44

1995 Adarand vs Pena