Civics question 56 of 128
Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?
2 accepted answers
- To be independent (of politics)
- To limit outside (political) influence
You only need to give one of these. The officer accepts any of them.
Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.
Background
Justices serve for life so that they can be independent of politics and shielded from outside influence. A judge who needed reappointment would have reason to please whoever controlled the next appointment, and Alexander Hamilton argued in Federalist No. 78 that permanent tenure was the only way to secure a judiciary strong enough to check the other branches. The protection has a second half that is easy to overlook: Congress may not reduce a sitting judge's salary, so the legislature cannot punish unwelcome rulings through the budget. Independence is not the same as answering to no one. Judges can be impeached for misconduct, their reasoning is published for criticism, and their rulings can be met with new legislation or a constitutional amendment. Appointed justices often rule against expectations.
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.
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