Answer to Question 1
D
Answer to Question 2
Federal judges and some state judges are appointed often typically by the chief executive officer of the jurisdiction. Positively, federal Supreme Court judges are appointed by the President of the United States, but on the positive side the Congress must approve. Negatively these federal judges are appointed for life and impeachment is the only means of removal assign from retirement or resignation. State judges can also be elected officials and therefore more likely to represent the local citizens. This may also allow for the best and most qualified candidate to receive the judgeship position, and the shorter terms can interrupt the quality and slow the function of the courtroom. The final means of becoming a judge is a hybrid method knowns as Missouri plan. This incorporates the development of a list of qualified candidates from a nonpartisan judicial nominating committee, appointment by the chief executive officer in that jurisdiction with periodic submission to the electorate for retention or removal. Each approach was designed to provide for heightened levels of accountability, independence, and impartiality by the judiciary, but all have faced significant criticism. Not surprisingly, the most heavily criticized are systems of appointment and merit. Proponents of the appointed system, for example, argue that lifetime appointments are necessary to negate external influences thereby increasing assurances of impartiality. At the same time, opponents argue that appointed positions are inherently political and can pervert the notions of justice and fair play. Proponents of the merit process argue that the periodic election component ensures judicial accountability, while opponents argue that the modified system is nothing more than a smokescreen designed to obscure political connections.