US Supreme Court

Question 1

What is judicial activism vs restraint

Answer 1

• use position to promote desirable ends
• not doing that. Deferring to other branches and precedent

Question 2

What committed the court to 9 judges

Answer 2

1879 justice act

Question 3

Which two cases gave the court the power of judicial review

Answer 3

Marbury v madison 1803 - fed
Fletcher v peck 1810 - state

Question 4

What is meant by an appellate court (sc is one)

Answer 4

Court if appeals - cases have to be brought to them

Question 5

How many cases do SC hear a year

Answer 5

60-80/8k

Question 6

End of 2024 - who is on the court

Answer 6

ACB, Kavanaugh, gorsuch , Sotomayor, kagan, brown Jackson, Thomas, alito, Robert’s

Question 7

When were Robert’s, alito, Sotomayor and kagan appointed

Answer 7

05, 06, 08, 09

Question 8

Why was alitos appointment so important

Answer 8

Switched ideology if the court, replaced Sandra day O’Connor, stayed conservative for nearly 20 years

Question 9

When was gorsuch appointed and why

Answer 9

2016, Scalia died, Obama tried to nominate garland but republicans delayed and said no to close to election

Question 10

Give an example of a like for like replacement

Answer 10

Robert’s replacing Rehnquist - both conservative

Question 11

Give an example of branches nit getting along (politicises court?)

Answer 11

Sof the Union 2011 ‘opened the floodgates for special interests’ alito mouthing not tru

Question 12

When was the last time congress rejected a justice

Answer 12

Robert bork

Question 13

Give an example of how court has no peer of enforcement

Answer 13

Brown v Topeka 1954, relied on president and federal/national guard to enforce

Question 14

Why was Brett kavanaugh’s appointment controversial

Answer 14

Christie Blasey ford came forward with sexual assault allegations

Question 15

What happens in the event of a tie vote on the SC

Answer 15

Ruling of lower court stands

Question 16

Who had the closest confirmation vote

Answer 16

Brown Jackson with 50 dems for to 47 reps against

Question 17

What is an amicus curiae brief

Answer 17

Documents to court trying to influence their ruling on a case - allows pressure groups to influence the process

Question 18

On average how many amicus curiae briefs are filed per case, cited in what % of cases

Answer 18

2019 - 16, general trend increasing, 65

Question 19

How many amicus curiae briefs were filed in McDonald v Chicago case? What was interest about these?

Answer 19

33, one by congress signed by 58 senators, separation of powers?

Question 20

For how long did Thomas not ask a question in oral arguments

Answer 20

10 years, 2006 to 2016, judicial restraint

Question 21

In the voting agreement percentages form 2016 to 2021, all are above what?

Answer 21

50% , even for ACB the most conservative judge

Question 22

Because congress delayed process in 2015, how long did SC have 8 judges

Answer 22

10 months

Question 23

Give an example of a death, a retirement and an impeachment

Answer 23

Death - Ruth Bailey Ginsberg 2020
Retire - Stephen Breyer 2021
Impeachment - Samuel chase 1805

Question 24

Who was the 1st Jewish woman on the court

Answer 24

Kagan

Question 25

In the senate committee hearings , how many people are normally on it? For Sotomayor, how much if the time did she spend speaking compared to the commiteee

Answer 25

20, 1/3, 2/3 - hearing her??

Question 26

Give an example of how hyper partisanship has affected the appointment process

Answer 26

Kagan - shanked filibuster 60 votes to pass / avoid filibuster rule to 50

Question 27

Give an example of how embedded in pop culture the SC is

Answer 27

SNL cold open skit - prime time TV, 15 mins / 1 hour

Question 28

What did Miranda v Arizona do

Answer 28

Miranda rights / criminal rights, controversial but still stands - power of the court

Question 29

When was roe v wade

Answer 29

1973

Question 30

When was Buckley v valeo and what did it do? What did McConnell v FEC do? When was it? What and when was citizens utd v FEC

Answer 30

Imposed limits of campaign finance in 1973, 2003, money free speech for individuals, 2010, money free speech for companies and groups

Question 31

Give me a SC case in flag burning

Answer 31

Texas v Johnson - overturned 38 state laws that had Mande this illegal

Question 32

When and what was grutter v bollinger , what case has more recently followed

Answer 32

2003, affirmative action - fine for 20 yrs students for fairer access v Harvard - removed right to use race in applications - breach of stare decisis? More conservative court? Equality achieved?

Question 33

Give an example of how slow moving progress can be with the Supreme Court

Answer 33

1970s law challenge in DC v heller 2008 - undermined 2nd amendment rights,

Question 34

When was Gonzales v carhart and what did it decide

Answer 34

2007 5-4 ban on partial birth abortions - liberals would have agreed had exceptions of mothers health been included

Question 35

Give an example of the weak power of the Supreme Court

Answer 35

Hamdi v Rumsfeld 2004 Hamden v Rumsfeld 2006 Boumediene v bush 2008 3 cases 4 years bush ignoring lots - suspected terrsits access to us civilian courts system?

Question 36

What was the NFIB v Sibelius case and why was it interesting

Answer 36

Obama care a tax? 2012 - Robert’s said he had to vote with liberals be sure constitutionally it was a tax - but he didn’t agree with Obamacare

Question 37

What and when was the masterpiece cake shop v Colorado civil rights case

Answer 37

2018 - gay marriage cake can they refuse on religious grounds, SC says yes Uk case of Lee v Asher’s baking company

Question 38

Give an example of a case limiting the president

Answer 38

US v Texas 2016 Banned DAPA upholding decision of lower court, Obama , decision 4-4

Question 39

What and when was glossip v gross

Answer 39

Lethal injection drugs cruel and unusual? 5-4 says no, prisoner must provide alternative, 2015

Question 40

What and when was Arizona v US

Answer 40

2012, states can’t implement own immigration rules, federal supremacy

Question 41

Give an example of a case that went against the ideology of the court at the time

Answer 41

2023 Allen v Milligan - voting rights and redistributing - violated voting rights act

Question 42

Alabama, Louisiana were what % black, due to gerrymandering mandering cussing reps and dems to lose/gain how many seats in each state

Answer 42

Alabama - 27%, R -1, D +1 Louisiana - 33%, R -1, D +1