Supreme Court

Question 1

Cases on Federalism: Zelman v Simmons-Harris?

Answer 1

Upheld a state program to send state aid to parents who wanted to send their children to religious schools. Ruling of 5-4 the Supreme Court upheld this and built a wall between church and state.

Question 2

Cases on Federalism: Town of Greece v Galloway?

Answer 2

Ruled that legislative bodies such as city councils were not violating the first amendment by opening meetings with ceremonial prayers as such action is not an establishment of religion in a ruling of 5-4.

Question 3

Cases on Federalism: Printz v United States?

Answer 3

Ruled that certain elements aspects of the Brady Handgun violence act violated the 10th amendment. The act required that the attorney general establish background checks.

Question 4

Cases on Federalism: Gonzales v Raich?

Answer 4

Supreme Court ruled that under the commerce cause of the constitution, Congress may criminalise the use of homegrown cannabis even if state law allows it.

Question 5

Cases on Federalism: Burwell v Hobby Lobby Stores Inc?

Answer 5

Supreme court ruled that private for profit businesses can be exempt from regulation that it’s owner’s religious beliefs object to, if there are less restrictive means.

Question 6

Cases on Gun Control: Miller v United States?

Answer 6

Held that one could not be lawfully arrested in one’s home by an officer breaking in without first giving notification of their authority and purpose.

Question 7

Cases on Gun Control: McDonald v City of Chicago?

Answer 7

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the second amendment applies to state and local government as well as the federal government.

Question 8

Cases on Gun Control: District of Columbia v Heller?

Answer 8

Ruled that the district of Columbia ban of handguns and that lawful owned rifles and shotguns be kept “unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock” violated the 2nd amendment.

Question 9

Cases on Punishment: Furman v Georgia?

Answer 9

Invalidated all then existing legal constructions for the death penalty. And in order to reinstate the death penalty states most remove any arbitery discriminating effects.

Question 10

Cases on Punishment: Atkins v Virginia?

Answer 10

Court ruled 6-3 that executing people with intellectual disabilities violated the 8th amendment. States can still define what an intellectual disability is.

Question 11

Cases on Punishment: Roper v Simmons?

Answer 11

Court ruled 5-4 that it was unconstitutional to impose capitol punishment under the age of 18. However, this was overturned in 25 states.

Question 12

Cases on Punishment: Hall v Florida?

Answer 12

They held that the bright line test for IQ threshold for detecting whether someone had an intellectual disability as unconstitutional.

Question 13

Cases on Punishment: Glossip v Gross?

Answer 13

Court held 5-4 that lethal injections to kill prisoners convicted of capitol punishment is not a cruel or unusual punishment.

Question 14

Cases on Punishment: Montgomery v Louisiana?

Answer 14

Ruled that a mandate life sentence without parole should not apply to people convicted of murder as a juvenile.

Question 15

Cases on Ethnic Rights: Plessy v Ferguson?

Answer 15

Held that racial segregation did not violate the US constitution as long as facilities for each race were equal in quality.

Question 16

Cases on Ethnic Rights: Brown v Board of Eduction of Topeka?

Answer 16

Held that US state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if segregated schools equal in quality.

Question 17

Cases on Ethnic Rights: Grutter v Bollinger?

Answer 17

Confirmed affirmative action in student admissions, held that a process that favours underrepresented minorities does not violate the 14th amendment.

Question 18

Cases on Ethnic Rights: Shelby County v Holder?

Answer 18

Held 5-4 that aspects of the 1965 voting rights act was unconstitutional.

Question 19

Cases on Abortion: Roe v Wade?

Answer 19

Held that the constitution of the United States generally protects the right to have an abortion, this led to further debate over the Supreme Court’s role as an adjudicator.

Question 20

Cases on Abortion: Planned Parenthood v Casey?

Answer 20

Established the right to an abortion was the essential holding of Roe v Wade, which heavily restricted the power of states regarding the right.

Question 21

Cases on Abortion: Gonzales v Carhart?

Answer 21

The case upheld the ban on partial birth abortion as set out by the 2003 act, this was taken to the supreme Court as the 8th circuit appealed.

Question 22

Cases on Abortion: Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt?

Answer 22

This regarded the 14th amendment and overturned Texas State regulations which closed down abortion clinics. 5-3 ruling.

Question 23

Cases on Abortion: Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation?

Answer 23

Held that the constitution of the United States does not cover the right to abortion and therefore restored to right of the States to decide.

Question 24

Cases on LGBT Rights: Bowers v Hardwick?

Answer 24

In a 5-4 ruling, upheld the constitutionality of a Georgia Sodomy which criminalised oral and anal sex maintaining their illegality.

Question 25

Cases on LGBT Rights: Lawrence v Texas?

Answer 25

Ruled that a Texas law criminalising consensual, sexual conduct between individuals of the same sex in fact undermines the 14th amendment.

Question 26

Cases on LGBT Rights: Obergefell v Hodges?

Answer 26

This case in 2014 guaranteed the right to same sex marriage, this forced states to lift their ban on gay marriage. Roberts argued that congress should have dealt with it.

Question 27

Cases on LGBT Rights: Pavan v Smith?

Answer 27

State law which banned putting the name of a female spouse on a birth certificate was unconstitutional.

Question 28

Cases on LGBT Rights: Karnoski v Trump?

Answer 28

This ruled that Trump’s ban on Transgender people serving in the army was unsupported by any adequate justification.

Question 29

Cases on LGBT Rights: Masterpiece Cakeshop v Colorado Civil Rights Commission?

Answer 29

Public accommodation can refuse certain services based on the first amendment due to its calls for free speech.

Question 30

Cases on Executive Power: Rasul v Bush?

Answer 30

Regarding rights of detainees in Guantanamo Bay. Ruled 6-3 that detainees in Guantanamo Bay should have access to the Federal Court System.

Question 31

Cases on Executive Power: Hamden v Rumsfield?

Answer 31

In a ruling of 5-3 the Court ruled that using a military commission rather than an actual court undermined the right to a fair trial as set out by the Geneva Convention.

Question 32

Cases on Executive Power: Boumediene v Bush?

Answer 32

Justices ruled 5-4 that the Bush administration had not sufficiently complied with the ruling in Hamden v Rumsfield.

Question 33

Cases on Executive Power: NLRB v Noel Canning?

Answer 33

9-0 ruling that Obama lacked the constitutional power to make a top level executive appointment at a time when congress could give advice and consent.

Question 34

Cases on Executive Power: Sessions v Dimaya?

Answer 34

Power of Trump regarding immigration was checked, dealt with aggravated felony. Court ruled 5-4 that an act was constitutionally vague, Immigration and Nationality Act.

Question 35

Cases on Elections: Marbury v Madison?

Answer 35

The Supreme Court granted itself the power of Judicial review in a debate between a federalist and a democratic republican. Adams last an election and stacked federal courts but he was blocked from doing so.

Question 36

Cases on Elections: Bush v Gore?