Accounting
Anthropology
Archaeology
Art History
Banking
Biology & Life Science
Business
Business Communication
Business Development
Business Ethics
Business Law
Chemistry
Communication
Computer Science
Counseling
Criminal Law
Curriculum & Instruction
Design
Earth Science
Economic
Education
Engineering
Finance
History & Theory
Humanities
Human Resource
International Business
Investments & Securities
Journalism
Law
Management
Marketing
Medicine
Medicine & Health Science
Nursing
Philosophy
Physic
Psychology
Real Estate
Science
Social Science
Sociology
Special Education
Speech
Visual Arts
Law
Q:
How have political strategists attempted to thwart campaign finance laws since the Federal Election Campaign Act was passed in 1971?
Q:
Property connected with illegal activity may be forfeited when used as a________to transport illicit drugs.
Q:
Cases that question the amounts awarded at trial have primarily dealt with ____________damages.
Q:
Describe at least three provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that increased protection against racial discrimination at the voting booth.
Q:
What are majority-minority districts? How did the majority of the Court rule on the constitutionality of designing such districts in Shaw v. Reno and Miller v. Johnson?
Q:
Reimbursement to the plaintiff for actual harm done, such as medical expenses or lost business, is known as _________________.
Q:
In Reynolds v. Sims, what did the majority of the Court say about Alabama's plan to follow the federal model for its bicameral state legislature? What justification did the Court give for its decision?
Q:
In his majority opinion in Baker v. Carr what justification did Justice Brennan give for hearing the case despite the Court's previous ruling in Colegrove v. Green?
Q:
The process by which a bail bond provider post a bond for upward of 10% of the bail amount with the court, to be paid if the defendant fails to appear, is called commercial bail.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Following the Civil War, "the power to set voting rights policy began a steady shift." What was the nature of this shift? What are two constitutional amendments that symbolize this shift?
Q:
Opponents of preventive detention argue that the accused is being punished without trial and that protecting the community is the job of the police, not the purpose of bail.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The Bail Reform Act of 1984 eliminated a presumption in favor of pretrial release through the bail process. a. Trueb. False
Q:
In Bush v. Gore, why did the dissenters argue that the Supreme Court should not have heard the case?
Q:
The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for bail in noncapital crimes. a. Trueb. False
Q:
In Bush v. Gore, what justification did the majority opinion give for overruling the Florida Supreme Court and halting the recount?
Q:
In Shelby County the Court ruled that _______.A. The Voting Rights Act is fully constitutional and should stay in effectB. Sections 4 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act are unconstitutionalC. The case involved a political question and so dismissed it
Q:
The Constitution guarantees the right to bail, as well as prohibits excessive bail. a. Trueb. False
Q:
Explain the purpose of bail, who is eligible for it, and the criteria considered when calculating the appropriate amount of bail.
Q:
Buckley v. Valeo set the general standard that _______.A. The government may limit campaign contributions but not spendingB. The government may limit campaign spending but not contributionsC. The government may regulate both campaign spending and contributions
Q:
Explain asset forfeiture. Why is it considered in a discussion of the Eighth Amendment?
Q:
Which of the following statements best describes the election of African American representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives in the past twenty years?A. The number of African American representatives in Congress has increased every year since 1985.B. The number of African American representatives in Congress increased steadily from 1985 through 1993, but leveled off in the mid-1990s.C. The number of African American representatives in Congress increased steadily from 1985 through 1995, but decreased dramatically after 1997.D. The number of African American black representatives in Congress has remained relatively stable since 1985.
Q:
What standard has the Supreme Court applied to legislative redistricting based on race?A. Strict scrutinyB. Heightened scrutinyC. Rational basis testD. Totality -of -circumstances
Q:
Describe the rights protected by the Eighth Amendment and which, if any, have been incorporated to apply to the states.
Q:
Discuss capital punishment in the United Statesits history, how the Supreme Court has viewed it, and how and on whom it may be carried out.
Q:
Discuss the Eighth Amendment rights often claimed by prisoners, citing examples.
Q:
Which of the following statements is true?A. InKarcher v. Daggett, the Court upheld congressional redistricting where the population difference between the largest and smallest districts was 0.6984 percent.B. The Court has allowed states much greater latitude in devising reapportionment plans for state legislatures than for federal congressional districts.C. The Court has created a specified mathematical standard for equality in federal congressional redistricting that must be followed in all reapportionment decisions.D. All of the above.
Q:
According to the Eighth Amendment, bail shall not be __________.
Q:
Which of the following statements best describes the Court's decision in its first major apportionment case, Colegrove v. Green?A. Large apportionment discrepancies in legislative districts violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.B. Large apportionment discrepancies in legislative districts violates the Constitution's republican form of government guarantee.C. Racially motivated redistricting violates the Fifteenth Amendment.D. The authority to draw district boundaries is a "political question," and thus should not be decided in federal courts.
Q:
What political body is in charge of apportionment (the devising of legislative districts)?A. The U.S. Supreme CourtB. State supreme courtsC. State legislaturesD. The U.S. House of Representatives
Q:
The percentage of _____who have been executed far exceeds their proportion of the general population.
Q:
Taxes on the privilege to vote in state and local elections were invalidated by _______.A. The Voting Rights Act of 1965B. The Fifteenth AmendmentC. The Twenty-fourth AmendmentD. The Court's decision in Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections
Q:
A _________trial is required for death penalty cases.
Q:
According to the Eighth Amendment, punishment shall not be ___________.
Q:
In what case did the Supreme Court uphold the Voting Rights Act of 1965? _______A. Louisiana v. United StatesB. Harper v. Viriginia State Board of ElectionsC. Alabama v. United StatesD. South Carolina v. Katzenbach
Q:
Which of the following statements about the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is not true?A. A two-thirds majority in Congress overrode Lyndon Johnson's veto to pass the Act.B. The Act prohibited literacy tests.C. The Act applied more stringent standards to states that had a recent history of voter discrimination.D. A state could be removed from coverage by convincing the District Court for the District of Columbia that no discrimination had been practiced for five years.
Q:
A capital case in which the death penalty might be involved requires two proceedings, one to determine guilt, and one to determine _____________.
Q:
The Supreme Court has held that forfeiture is not double jeopardy because it is a ___________action.
Q:
Which of the following statements best describes the Supreme Court's decision in Oregon v. Mitchell? (note that the decision occurred before the Twenty-sixth Amendment was passed.)A. Congress has the power to set a minimum age for voting in federal elections but not for state and local elections.B. Congress has the power to set a minimum age for voting in all elections.C. Congress does not have the power to set a minimum age for voting in any elections.D. Congress has the power to set a minimum age for voting in state and local elections, but not in presidential elections.
Q:
Which amendment ensures that the right to vote cannot be denied on account of a person's sex?A. Fourteenth AmendmentB. Seventeenth AmendmentC. Nineteenth AmendmentD. Twenty-fourth Amendment
Q:
The seizure of property connected with illegal activity is known as __________.
Q:
Denying bail on the basis of danger to the community or of risk to not appear at trial is known as ____________.
Q:
Which of the following statements best describes the position Chief Justice Rehnquist took in his written opinion about the Supreme Court's decision to hear Bush v. Gore?A. He opposed the Court's decision to accept the case, calling it a non-federal issue.B. He approved of the Court's decision to accept the case because the appointment of presidential electors presented a federal constitutional question.C. He opposed the Court's decision to accept the case because there was no precedent for hearing such a case.D. He argued that the Supreme Court correctly accepted the case because all elections, even local contests, are federal issues.
Q:
Bayport University (a publicly run university) has a stringent nondiscrimination policy that includes penalties for discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation. In 2005 a group of students from the campus LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgendered) student association asked the university to add transgendered individuals to the list of groups protected from discrimination. The students sought such action because, as one member of the LGBT community put it, there is an "attitude of discrimination and prejudice regarding transgender issues," at the school, particularly within the administration. The university responded by arguing that, "Bayport is a safe and supportive place for people of all walks of life, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, religion, or gender." The dean of students was also quoted as saying that "no discrimination or harassment will be tolerated." Ultimately, the university did not add transgendered individuals to its list of protected groups.
The current case stems from a controversy that arose during the time the LGBT community was focused on changing university policy. Mary Weather, a biological female who identifies as male and has begun taking hormones as part of his gender transition, was on a waiting list for on-campus housing. The director of campus housing informed Weather that should student housing become available for him, it would be with a female roommate. At one point, Weather requested to live with a male friend, but the campus has a strict policy against opposite-sex living arrangements. The administration argued that the problem would simply "go away" because Weather was not guaranteed on-campus housing due to his high lottery number. However, Weather also allegeds that throughout his attempts to secure appropriate housing he was repeatedly treated disrespectfully by a several administrators and staff members, including the president, who informed him the university "has no interest in helping a transgendered student find housing."
Weather sued the university for its discriminatory practice but lost at trial. On appeal, however, the Ninth Circuit Court reversed the trial court, holding that, people from the LGBT community deserve the same protections as everyone else who attends a public university. Bayport appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to add transgendered people to the class of citizens protected by the strict scrutiny test. If you were a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court and this case came before you, how would you rule?
Q:
In ____________, the Supreme Court reinstated the Georgia death penalty by sustaining its revised death penalty law.
Q:
Estelle v. Gamble held that ________________to prisoners' serious medical needs constituted unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain.
Q:
Since ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, the Supreme Court has been asked to decide what kinds of discrimination violate the Constitution. First, what specific part of the amendment applies to discrimination? Second, since 1868 how has the Court's interpretation of this part of the amendment and race discrimination more generally changed, if at all? What factors do you think have been important in the Court's decision making to cause it either to change course or maintain the status quo? In your essay, you need to bring in the cases on discrimination that we have read and/or discussed in class to support your argument. Please do not simply write a chronological summary of the cases, however. Instead, and you should use details about the specific cases to elaborate and enrich your essay.
Q:
The Supreme Court has upheld the execution of mentally retarded offenders.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The Supreme Court has held that California's "threestrikes" law did not violate the Eighth Amendment.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Some people argue that the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause simply requires states to prohibit discrimination. Others argue that states need to take active, positive, and remedial steps to compensate for the effects of past discrimination. How have different government actors attempted to actively make up for past discrimination? How has the Court responded to these efforts over the years? How have different points of view on the Court been justified (i.e., how have the justices interpreted the Constitution differently)?
Q:
Asset forfeiture may constitute double jeopardy.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Explain the rationale the Court used in Windsor to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. How did the dissenters react to this argument?
Q:
The Eighth Amendment guarantees the right to bail.
a. True
b. False
Q:
In the two University of Michigan affirmative action cases, why did the Court rule against the University of Michigan in Gratz v. Bollinger but for the university in Grutter v. Bollinger?
Q:
A person who becomes mentally ill while in prison cannot be executed.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Why might a litigant in an age discrimination case have a harder time winning his or her case than a defendant in a racial discrimination case?
Q:
What equal protection test did the majority of the Court use in San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez? Why did the Court settle on this test?
Q:
The government may detain dangerous defendants who become incompetent to stand trial.
a. True
b. False
Q:
What did the majority opinion of the Court consider to be "the underlying fallacy" of the plaintiff's argument in Plessy v. Ferguson?
Q:
The Supreme Court has held that the Eighth Amendment prohibits execution of anyone who was under age 21 at the time they committed the capital offense.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Romer v. Evans _______.A. Upheld laws that single out homosexuals for discriminationB. Struck down laws that single out homosexuals for discriminationC. Used strict scrutiny to decide a case of discrimination against homosexualsD. None of the above.
Q:
State courts are free to forbid preventive detention of state and local prisoners.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The amount of bail must be an amount the accused can afford to pay.
a. True
b. False
Q:
In Rostker v. Goldberg the Court _______.A. Deferred to the judgment of the military that only men should be draftedB. Refused to defer to the military and ruled that women may be drafted tooC. Ruled the draft unconstitutionalD. Dismissed the case as improvidently granted
Q:
Jim Crow laws _______.A. Helped desegregate the racesB. Had no effect on race relationsC. Required strict separation of the racesD. None of the above.
Q:
The Massachusetts Body of Liberties (1641) provided a right to bail and prohibited cruel and inhumane punishment.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Asset forfeiture is unconstitutional if:
a. the owner of a residence or vehicle is unaware of its illegal use.
b. the forfeiture is "grossly disproportionate" to the offense .
c. forfeiture is accompanied by a loss of liberty in violation of double jeopardy.
d. the government converts the assets for public use.
Q:
Which of the following characteristics makes an affirmative action or minority set-aside program less likely to be found constitutional?A. It is narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government interest.B. It is designed to assist any minority group, whether or not the group has been the victim of illegal discrimination.C. It is imposed by a federal court as a remedy for demonstrated constitutional violations.D. It avoids the use of quotas.
Q:
How many states authorize lethal injections as a method of execution, as of 2010?
a. 50
b. 13
c. 36
d. 26
Q:
Which of the following statements is true?A. Although federal laws prohibit various forms of discrimination based on race and sex, no law explicitly protects homosexuals.B. While Americans' views about blacks and women have changed since the early 1970s, they have remained more stable, and negative, toward gays and lesbians.C. The Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in its Windsor decision.D. All of the above.
Q:
What category of litigation has the Court appeared to be less willing to strike down sex-based laws?A. Cases in which men are discriminated against.B. Cases in which the discrimination makes the administrative work of the state easierC. Cases involving higher education.D. Cases involving physical differences between men and women.
Q:
Defendants cannot be sentenced to life without parole for a non-homicide crime if, when they committed the crime, they were below the age of:
a. 15
b. 16
c. 17
d. 18
Q:
In discrimination cases based on economic status, what test has the Court used when a "fundamental" right, such as the right to vote, has been involved?A. Strict scrutiny test.B. Heightened scrutiny test.C. Rational basis test.D. The Court has not used any type of test in cases based on economic status.
Q:
The Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment can only be imposed by a jury or by a judge following a jury's recommendation in:a. Powell v. Alabamab. Trop v. Dullesc. Brown v. Mississippid. Ring v. Arizona
Q:
In Trop v. Dulles, the Supreme Court held that the standard for determining whether a punishment is cruel and unusual is:
a. "socially acceptable practices"
b. "evolving standards of decency "
c. "evolving social norms"
d. "retribution v. rehabilitation"
Q:
Which of the following statements is true?A. Although federal laws prohibit various forms of discrimination based on race and sex, no law explicitly protects homosexuals.B. While Americans' views about blacks and women have changed since the early 1970s, they have remained more stable, and negative, towards gays and lesbians.C. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act permits states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.D. All of the above.
Q:
The Supreme Court upheld corporal punishment as necessary for the proper education of a child and maintenance of group discipline and not an Eighth Amendment issue in:
a. United States v. Ursery
b. Trop v. Dulles
c. Solem v. Helm
d. Ingraham v. Wright
Q:
Which of the following has been held to be a violation of a prisoner's right against cruel and unusual punishment?
a. Suspending visiting privileges for an inmate who failed more than one drug test.
b. Exposure to second-hand smoke posing an unreasonable risk of damage to health.
c. A prisoner shot in the leg during a riot to maintain discipline.
d. The use of chain gangs.
Q:
In Craig v. Boren, what test did a majority of the Court agree on for examining sex discrimination cases?A. Heightened scrutiny test.B. Strict scrutiny testC. Rational basis testD. None of the above.
Q:
In United States v. Ursery, the Supreme Court ruled that since forfeiture is a civil action, not an additional criminal action, it is not:
a. double jeopardy
b. an excessive fine
c. cruel and unusual punishment
d. applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment
Q:
Which future Supreme Court justice argued before the Court in Reed v. Reed?A. Thurgood MarshallB. Sandra Day O"ConnorC. Ruth Bader GinsburgD. Antonin Scalia