THE NINE AP GOVT
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS COLEMAN
INSTRUCTIONS: Your answers to these questions must be typed and submitted
to by 11:59 p.m. on January 2nd 2018
1) By the mid-1980s, conservatives in the Reagan White House had come to believe that in order to overturn the decision
in Roe v. Wade (1973), they didn’t “need better [constitutional] arguments, they just needed new justices.”
Explain this line of thinking by discussing how the justices of the Supreme Court came to a decision in the
case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992).
2) Explain the unique legal tactic used by Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) to win several
cases that allowed various types of religious observances in public places such as schools. Discuss the facts of
ONE of these cases.
3) When asked to compare his judicial philosophy to that of one of his ideologically closest colleagues on the Supreme
Court, justice Antonin Scalia said, “I’m an originalist, but I’m not a nut.” Briefly explain and illustrate what
“originalism” means. Also, name the justice to whom Scalia was comparing himself and give an example of why
Scalia might consider this fellow justice “nutty.”
4) Explain the legal concept known by the Latin term of “stare decisis.” Also, use examples to discuss the attitudes of any
TWO Supreme Court justices from the book toward this legal principle.
5) Which of the nine justices held the swing vote in the case of Bush v. Gore (2000)? On which constitutional principle
did he base his opinion? Explain this decision.
6) Explain how the case of Roper v. Simmons (2003) illuminated the differing opinions of the justices regarding whether
foreign laws and legal practices should be allowed to influence the making of Supreme Court decisions in the U.S..
7) Jeffrey Toobin argues that in the years after Bush v. Gore was decided, that the Court made a decided turn to the left.
Briefly discuss TWO cases that he uses to illustrate this claim.
8) What is an amicus curiae (or “green”) brief? Explain the important role that one of these briefs played during oral
argument in the case of Grutter v. Bollinger (2003).
9) Briefly summarize the arguments made and the opinion of the majority of the justices in the case of Rasul v. Bush (2004).
10) Toobin calls Sandra Day O’Connor “the most important woman in American history.” Provide specific evidence to
support this claim.
11) Explain what happened to the ill-fated nomination of Harriet Meirs to the Supreme Court.
12) O’Connor’s departure from the court and her replacement by Samuel Alito left which justice in the crucial position of
being the swing vote on the most controversial cases? Discuss a case that illustrates how this justice has used his
power since O’Connor’s retirement.
13) Name the FIVE members of what Toobin describes as the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court. What
religion do these five, coincidentally, share?
14) Name the TWO Supreme Court justices that were appointed by Bill Clinton. In addition, name George W. Bush’s
(that’s the younger Bush!) TWO appointments.
15) How has the membership of the court changed since Jeffrey Toobin published The Nine? Have these changes in
membership altered the ideological balance of the Court in any significant way? Explain.
(Note: You’ll have to research #15 on your own, as you will not find this information in the book.)