UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — U.S. Supreme Court rules Trump can fire independent agency heads

Q1. Under the statutory 'for-cause' removal protection upheld in Humphrey's Executor v. United States (1935), a Federal Trade Commission commissioner could be removed by the President only on which one of the following grounds?

  • A. Inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office
  • B. Treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours
  • C. Incapacity, proven misbehaviour, or loss of confidence
  • D. Insubordination or persistent policy disagreement

Q2. By what margin did the U.S. Supreme Court decide Trump v. Slaughter (2026), overruling Humphrey's Executor?

  • A. 5–4
  • B. 6–3
  • C. 7–2
  • D. 9–0

Q3. In its rulings of 29 June 2026, which single independent body did the U.S. Supreme Court single out for continued protection from at-will presidential removal of its leadership?

  • A. The Federal Reserve
  • B. The Federal Trade Commission
  • C. The Securities and Exchange Commission
  • D. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Q4. In the companion case Trump v. Cook (2026), the removal of how many sitting Federal Reserve Governors was blocked by the Court?

  • A. One
  • B. Two
  • C. Three
  • D. Seven

Q5. Who authored the majority opinion in Myers v. United States (1926), the decision that first broadly affirmed the President's power to remove executive officers?

  • A. Chief Justice William Howard Taft
  • B. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes
  • C. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
  • D. Justice Louis Brandeis

Q6. The Federal Trade Commission, the agency at the centre of the 2026 removal-power dispute, is headed by how many commissioners?

  • A. Three
  • B. Five
  • C. Seven
  • D. Nine

Q7. With reference to the constitutional or statutory basis of Indian oversight and regulatory institutions, which of the following is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Election Commission of India derives its authority from Article 324 of the Constitution.
  2. The Securities and Exchange Board of India is a statutory body under the SEBI Act, 1992.
  3. The Central Bureau of Investigation was created directly by a provision of the Constitution.
  4. The Director of the CBI is appointed on the recommendation of a committee of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India or his nominee.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q8. With reference to the U.S. Supreme Court's 'shadow docket', which of the following is/are correctly stated?

  1. The term 'shadow docket' was coined in 2015 by legal scholar William Baude.
  2. Shadow-docket rulings are typically issued only after full oral argument and a signed majority opinion.
  3. The shadow docket includes routine orders granting or denying certiorari and procedural matters.
  4. By early 2026, the Court had issued 29 Trump-related shadow-docket decisions, most favouring the administration.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q9. In Wiener v. United States (1958), the Court clarified that the broad removal power recognised in Myers v. United States applies only to which category of officers?

  • A. Purely executive officers
  • B. Officers exercising quasi-judicial functions
  • C. Inferior officers appointed by the courts of law
  • D. Members of multi-member regulatory commissions