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Citizenship · System of Government

What is the role of the Supreme Court?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

To interpret the Constitution and laws — to decide if a law or government action is constitutional; its decisions set binding precedent for all lower courts in the United States

  1. A To command the military
  2. B To approve the federal budget
  3. C To pass laws
  4. D To interpret the Constitution and laws — to decide if a law or government action is constitutional; its decisions set binding precedent for all lower courts in the United States

Why this is the answer

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Its primary role is CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATION — deciding whether laws and government actions comply with the Constitution. This is JUDICIAL REVIEW, established by Marbury v. Madison (1803). Nine Justices sit on the Supreme Court: one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. They are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They serve for LIFE (or until they resign or are removed). USCIS Question 39: 'What does the judicial branch do?' — Answer: reviews laws, explains laws, resolves disputes, decides if a law goes against the Constitution.
Source: USCIS Civics Questions 38, 39 — Judicial Branch

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This question is from our US Citizenship Test Practice practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all System of Government and other topics.

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About this topic: System of Government

How the three branches work, how representatives and senators are elected, and how laws are made. Numbers (100 senators, 435 representatives, 4-year presidential term) are tested. This is one of 17 Civics (100 Questions) questions on system of government, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our Citizenship exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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