AP U.S. Government topic quiz4 questions

2.10 The Court in Action

Choose the best answer, check your reasoning, and use the explanation to correct any gap.

Question 1

Question 1 of 4

The Supreme Court denies a petition for certiorari. What follows most accurately?

Denial of certiorari leaves the lower-court judgment undisturbed but is not a merits decision and does not signal approval of the lower court's reasoning. The denial creates no Supreme Court holding on the legal issue.
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A. The lower judgment remains in place, but the denial does not endorse its reasoning

Denial of certiorari leaves the lower-court judgment undisturbed but is not a merits decision and does not signal approval of the lower court's reasoning. The denial creates no Supreme Court holding on the legal issue.

Question 2

Question 2 of 4

A justice agrees with the Court's judgment but does not join the controlling opinion's reasoning. The justice most likely writes a

A concurrence agrees with the judgment while offering different or additional reasoning. A dissent disagrees with the judgment, while majority and plurality opinions describe support for an opinion rather than this justice's separate agreement in result.
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B. concurring opinion

A concurrence agrees with the judgment while offering different or additional reasoning. A dissent disagrees with the judgment, while majority and plurality opinions describe support for an opinion rather than this justice's separate agreement in result.

Question 3

Question 3 of 4

Five justices join one opinion and judgment, two agree with the judgment for different reasons, and two dissent. Which statement is correct?

A majority of participating justices joined the same opinion, so its necessary reasoning supplies the controlling holding. Concurrences and dissents may persuade future readers but do not authorize lower courts to disregard that majority.
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C. The five-justice opinion supplies the controlling holding

A majority of participating justices joined the same opinion, so its necessary reasoning supplies the controlling holding. Concurrences and dissents may persuade future readers but do not authorize lower courts to disregard that majority.

Question 4

Question 4 of 4

The Supreme Court denies a petition for a writ of certiorari after a federal court of appeals enters judgment. What follows from the denial?

Denying certiorari leaves the lower court's judgment in place but does not endorse its reasoning or create Supreme Court precedent. The Court's discretionary docket allows it to decline review for many reasons unrelated to the merits.
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D. The lower judgment remains in place, but the denial expresses no view on the merits

Denying certiorari leaves the lower court's judgment in place but does not endorse its reasoning or create Supreme Court precedent. The Court's discretionary docket allows it to decline review for many reasons unrelated to the merits.

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