2025 civics test · Question 56 · System of Government
Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?
Any one of these answers is accepted
- To be independent (of politics)
- To limit outside (political) influence
What this means
Supreme Court justices serve for life so they can be independent of politics.
Because a justice never has to run for election or worry about being removed for an unpopular ruling, they are free to decide cases based on the law and the Constitution rather than on what is popular at the moment. A lifetime seat is meant to shield judges from political pressure.
Both accepted answers point the same way: “to be independent” or “to limit outside political influence.”
Why this is on the test
This 2025 question asks for the reasoning behind lifetime appointments, which is about keeping judges free from political pressure.
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.
Related questions
More from System of Government.
- 16 Name the three branches of government.
- 17 The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
- 18 What part of the federal government writes laws?
- 19 What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- 20 Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
- 21 How many U.S. senators are there?