Required Court Cases

Question 1

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Answer 1

State was attempting to tax a federal bank. Bank was constitutional, therefore the tax was unconstitutional do to the supremacy clause.

Question 2

United States v. Lopez (1995)

Answer 2

Gun Free School Zone Act of 1990 is unconstitutional because it was justified using the commerce clause.

Question 3

Baker v. Carr (1961)

Answer 3

SCOTUS has Jurisdiction over legislative redistricting (Tennessee ignored significant growth in certain parts)

Question 4

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Answer 4

14th amendment prevents race-based packing of congressional districts (Maps can’t be drawn too strangely)

Question 5

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Answer 5

Case that established Judicial review.

Question 6

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Answer 6

Establishment clause strikes down optional, nondenominational, prayer in New York Schools

Question 7

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Answer 7

The interest of free exercise overrides the interest of mandating school attendance (Amish).

Question 8

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Answer 8

Established the “clear and present danger test”. Anti-draft pamphlets counted as a “clear and present danger”

Question 9

Tinker v. Des Moine Independent Community School District (1969)

Answer 9

Students wore armbands to protest war when armbands were banned. Solidified Symbolic Speech.

Question 10

New York Times v. United States (1971)

Answer 10

The government can only use prior restraint if, when the documents were release, national security was immediately threatened (which was not the case in this case).

Question 11

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Answer 11

The second amendment also applies to states: states cannot prevent gun ownership for the general population.

Question 12

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Answer 12

Defendant couldn’t afford a lawyer and wasn’t provided one when he asked for one. 6th Amendment Applies to States as well.

Question 13

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Answer 13

White Schools and Colored schools supplied much different qualities of education, showing how “separate but equal” could never work.

Question 14

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Answer 14

Ruled that individual campaign spending (independent from any candidate/party) was a form of speech protected under the first amendment.

Question 15

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Answer 15

Since the constitution implies a right to privacy, Women have the right to an abortion.