CivicsPrep Pro seal
CivicsPrep Pro
Sign in
Supreme Court of the United States - Roberts Court 2022
USCIS Civics · Question 54 of 128

How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?

Official Answer

Five (5)

In plain English

Five (5) justices are usually needed to decide a case. The Supreme Court has nine justices, and a case is decided by a majority vote. Five is more than half of nine, so five votes usually decide a case. Five Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case.

From the archives

Supreme Court of the United States - Roberts Court 2022
Supreme Court of the United States - Roberts Court 2022Fred Schilling, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Image: Supreme Court of the United States - Roberts Court 2022 — Fred Schilling, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.Answers verbatim from USCIS M-1778 (09/25)