Question

Which statement about judicial appointment is true?

a. When selecting a judicial nominee, the president evaluates competence and political philosophy.
b. A judicial nominee is required to testify before the Senate in a confirmation hearing.
c. Nominations were under the complete control of the president until the Reagan administration.
d. The federal district courts have become a stepping stone to the Supreme Court, so presidents have taken more interest in these appointments.
e. The president can choose to confirm or reject a nominee following the Senate hearings.

Answer 1

The true statement about judicial appointment is that when selecting a nominee, the president considers competence and political philosophy, and after nomination, the Senate holds the power to confirm or reject the nominee through their advice and consent role.

The correct statement is:

a. When selecting a judicial nominee, the president evaluates competence and political philosophy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement regarding judicial appointment is that when selecting a judicial nominee, the president evaluates competence and political philosophy.

This practice is confirmed through the process by which a president nominates federal judges, with advice and consent from the Senate, which reflects the president's own ideological position. After nomination, the nominee is discussed and debated in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and if successful, confirmed by a majority vote of the full Senate.

Presidents, such as Barack Obama and Donald Trump, have selected nominees like Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, who align ideologically with them, underscoring the importance of these appointments for a president's legacy.

Despite the president's selection power, it remains the Senate that has the final say, exercising its constitutional duty to provide advice and consent and confirming or rejecting the nominee.