Civics question 53 of 128
How many seats are on the Supreme Court?
Official answer
- Nine (9)
Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.
Background
Nine seats sit on the Supreme Court: one chief justice and eight associate justices. The number is not in the Constitution. Congress sets it by statute and has changed it six times, starting at six in 1789 and passing through five, seven, and ten before returning to nine in 1869, where it has stayed. The last serious attempt to change it came in 1937, when Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed adding justices after the Court struck down parts of the New Deal; Congress refused, and the plan cost him support even within his own party. Nine is odd for a practical reason, since it prevents most ties, though a tie can still occur when a justice is recused or a seat is vacant. A tie leaves the lower court's judgment standing.
This background section is written by US Citizenship Test Practice to explain the civics fact. It is not part of the USCIS question list, and the official answer above is the one to give at the interview.
Where this question sits
It is part of System of Government, inside the American Government section of the test.
Related questions
- 23. Who is one of your state's U.S. senators now?
- 24. How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
- 25. How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
- 26. Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
- 27. How many senators does each state have?
- 28. Why does each state have two senators?