2025 civics test · Question 54 · System of Government
How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?
Official answer
- Five (5)
What this means
Usually five (5) Supreme Court justices are needed to decide a case.
The Supreme Court has nine justices in all. When they rule on a case, the side with more votes wins, so a majority of five out of nine is enough to settle it. A 5-to-4 decision is just as binding as a unanimous one.
Do not confuse this with the total number of seats on the Court, which is nine. The number needed to decide a case is five (5).
Why this is on the test
This 2025 question tests a specific number about the Supreme Court that is easy to mix up with the total number of justices.
How this question is asked
On the 2025 civics test, the officer asks up to 20 of the 128 questions out loud and you pass by answering 12 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
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- 20 Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
- 21 How many U.S. senators are there?