Which of the following statements about opinion writing at the Supreme Court is true?Group of answer choicesThe majority and concurring opinions cannot differ in their legal justification for the decision reachedSupreme Court justices do not share their written opinions with each other to avoid groupthinkMembers issue few dissenting or concurring opinions because the caseload at the Supreme Court is so extensive that members spend most of their time writing majority opinionsBoth a unanimous decision and a 5–4 decision have the same legal force, if not the same power in establishing precedent

A written Supreme Court opinion that, in the absence of a majority opinion, represents the reasoning of most of the justices who side with the winning party is aMultiple Choiceprevailing opinion.concurring opinion.leading opinion.per curiam.plurality opinion.

Which type of opinion should someone consult to understand why a particular Supreme Court justice agreed with the Court's ruling on a case?A.Appellate opinionB.Concurring opinionC.Majority opinionD.Dissenting opinion

Which of the following is true with regard to the Supreme Court and public opinion?Multiple ChoiceBecause justices stay on the bench for life and never face the scrutiny of an election, they remain largely uninformed about public opinion.The Court ignores public opinion in order to make decisions that are based on enduring values rather than the public's passing whims.The Court attempts to follow public opinion very closely in order to create public enthusiasm for its rulings.None of these answers are correct.The Court attempts to stay close enough to public opinion so as to avoid outright defiance of its decisions.

In documents called judicial opinions, judges explainthe reasoning behind their legal rulings, and in thoseexplanations they sometimes cite and discusshistorical and contemporary philosophers. Legalscholar and philosopher Anita L. Allen argues thatwhile judges are naturally inclined to mentionphilosophers whose views align with their ownpositions, the strongest judicial opinions considerand rebut potential objections; discussingphilosophers whose views conflict with judges’ viewscould therefore _______Which choice most logically completes the text?A) allow judges to craft judicial opinions withoutneeding to consult philosophical works.B) help judges improve the arguments they putforward in their judicial opinions.C) make judicial opinions more comprehensible toreaders without legal or philosophical training.D) bring judicial opinions in line with views that arebroadly held among philosophers.

Judges at the appellate court level decide on whether the lower court's ruling should be:Group of answer choicesBoth A and BreversedaffirmedNeither A nor B