Civics question 52 of 128 65/20 set

What is the highest court in the United States?

Official answer

Supreme Court

Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.

Background

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. It hears appeals from the federal courts of appeals and from state supreme courts when a question of federal law is involved, and it has original jurisdiction over a small set of cases, such as disputes between states. Most of its docket arrives by petition for a writ of certiorari, and the Court grants only a small fraction, roughly sixty to eighty cases a year out of several thousand requests. By long practice four justices agreeing to hear a case is enough to grant review, and a majority of those participating then decides it. The Court's rulings bind every other court in the country, and a constitutional holding can be undone only by amendment or by the Court itself changing course.

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. It is also one of the 20 questions in the 65/20 set, so it is worth knowing well.

What is the highest court in the United States?

Background

Where this question sits

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