Which statement about the makeup of the Supreme Court is true?

• A. The Court has five justices.
• B. The Court has seven justices.
• C. The Court has one chief justice and eight associate justices.
• D. The Court has nine chief justices.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is the structure of the Supreme Court. Today the Court is made up of one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, for a total of nine justices. The Chief Justice leads the Court and has some additional duties, while the eight Associate Justices participate in deciding cases. Congress sets the size of the Court, and the nine-justice arrangement has been in place since 1869, though the number has varied at other times in history. That’s why the statement describing the Court as one chief justice and eight associate justices is the correct description. The idea of five or seven justices isn’t accurate for the current Court, and there is only one Chief Justice at a time, not nine.