C ANS:Judicial independence is aimed at:
a. increasing accountability
b. legislative control over court actions
c. neutral and impartial decision making
d. the right of a judge to dismiss a jury
C ANS:American judges generally serve:
a. about the same length of time as a U.S. Senator
b. fewer years than the average elected official
c. more years than the average elected official
d. typically for life
C ANS:Common judicial selection methods DO NOT include:
a. appointment
b. elections
c. House judiciary committee
d. merit selection
A ANS:Federal judges are:
a. nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
b. nominated by the president and confirmed by both houses of Congress.
c. appointed by Congress, subject to presidential veto.
d. appointed by the chief justice.
e. appointed by the president subject only to legislative veto.
B ANS:Which of the following is a major actor in the selection of federal judges, but does not have a
formal role?
,a. Deputy attorney general
b. American Bar Association
c. Chief Justice
d. the Senate
A ANS:The American Bar Association generally has the most influence over the selection of federal
judges during:
a. Republican administrations
b. the recruitment process
c. confirmation hearings
d. Democratic administrations
E ANS:Which president named a greater percentage of women to the federal judiciary than any other?
a. Carter
b. Bush I
c. Clinton
d. Bush II
e. Obama
C ANS:Which president appointed more District Court judges than any other?
a. Reagan
b. Bush I
c. Clinton
d. Bush II
e. Obama
D ANS:In choosing his nominees to the federal bench, President Obama's nominees have been
confirmed by the Senate:
a. much faster than was expected
b. faster than was expected
, c. at the same rate as previous presidents
d. slower than previous presidents
E ANS:Which of the following is a similar background characteristic of Obama and George W. Bush
judicial appointments?
a. previous political activity
b. type of education
c. judicial experience
d. undergraduate education
e. all of the above
A ANS:A key characteristic of judicial elections is:
a. low voter turnout
b. heated campaigning
c. marked by controversy
d. bar associations split over their endorsements
A ANS:Incumbent judges are:
a. rarely opposed for re-election
b. routinely defeated for re-election
c. often opposed but rarely defeated
d. often not candidates for re-election
C ANS:The cost of judicial campaigns is:
a. decreasing over time
b. increasingly paid for by public funding
c. increasing over time
d. remaining relatively constant
B ANS:Studies of judicial selection have found:
a. merit plans removes politics from the selection process.