Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: The Court decides for itself which appealed cases it will hear through the writ of certiorari process.
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the federal judiciary. It exercises both original and appellate jurisdiction but hears only a small fraction of the cases that seek review. Understanding how the Court selects cases and how it decides them is essential in American civics and comparative constitutional law. This question asks you to identify the statement that accurately describes the Court's functioning.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Most cases come to the Supreme Court on appeal through petitions for writs of certiorari. The Court has discretion to decide which of these petitions to grant. Typically, at least four justices must agree to hear a case, a practice called the rule of four. The Court is not required to hear every appeal. Each justice, including the Chief Justice, has one vote, and the Court is bound by the Constitution and federal law even in politically sensitive matters. Therefore, the most accurate statement is that the Court decides for itself which appealed cases it will hear through the certiorari process.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine statement a, which says the Court chooses which appealed cases to hear via writ of certiorari. This matches known procedure.
Step 2: Evaluate statement b, claiming every appeal must be heard. This is incorrect because the Court denies most petitions.
Step 3: Evaluate statement c, suggesting the Chief Justice's vote counts twice. This is wrong; all justices have equal voting power.
Step 4: Evaluate statement d, saying the Court may only hear cases never heard elsewhere, which ignores its appellate role and original jurisdiction exceptions.
Step 5: Evaluate statement e, which implies the Court can ignore the Constitution. This contradicts the very idea of constitutional supremacy.
Step 6: Conclude that only statement a accurately reflects Supreme Court practice.
Verification / Alternative check:
Authoritative sources on United States constitutional law describe the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as largely discretionary, exercised through granting or denying certiorari. The Court receives thousands of petitions annually but grants certiorari in only a small percentage. The rule of four and one vote per justice are well documented. The Constitution remains the supreme law, and the Court cannot simply set it aside because a case is politically sensitive.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Every case appealed must be heard: This would make the Court a mandatory court of appeal, which it is not. Chief Justice's vote counts as two: The Chief Justice is primus inter pares, first among equals, and has only one vote. The Court may only hear cases never heard elsewhere: The Court mainly reviews decisions from lower courts and also has limited original jurisdiction. The Court can ignore the Constitution: The Court is bound by the Constitution, and decisions that depart from it would be subject to severe criticism and possible later reversal.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners believe that the Supreme Court must hear all appeals, perhaps by analogy with lower appellate courts that have mandatory jurisdiction. Others overestimate the power of the Chief Justice or assume that political cases allow the Court to bypass constitutional limits. Careful study shows that while the Court has wide interpretive discretion, it remains institutionally tied to constitutional text and principles, and it carefully chooses a limited docket each term through certiorari decisions.
Final Answer:
The Court decides for itself which appealed cases it will hear through the writ of certiorari process.
Discussion & Comments