Required Supreme Court Cases Flashcards
(14 cards)
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
questions:
* Did Congress have the implied power to create a bank?
* Could states tax a federal entity/bank?
ruling: in favor of McCulloch
impacts:
* necessary and proper clause gave congress implied powers
* supremacy clause meant states can’t tax federal gov
summary:
* the second bank of the US was chartered
* Maryland imposed taxes on the bank
* McCulloch, a cashier at the Baltimore branch, refused to pay the tax
* Maryland’s state court ruled the Bank was unconstitutional to begin with
- involves federalism
United States v. Lopez (1995)
questions:
* Did the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 exceed Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause?
* Can possession of a gun in a school zone be regulated as interstate commerce?
ruling: in favor of Lopez
impacts:
* limited the scope of the Commerce Clause
* reaffirmed the Tenth Amendment’s protection of state power
* signaled a shift toward state sovereignty
summary:
* Lopez, a high school student, brought a concealed weapon to school
* charged under the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990
* Supreme Court ruled the act unconstitutional because carrying a gun in a school zone is not an economic activity that affects interstate commerce
- involves federalism
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
questions:
* Does school-sponsored prayer in public schools violate the Establishment Clause?
ruling: in favor of Engel
impacts:
* reinforced separation of church and state
* prohibited even voluntary, non-denominational prayer in public schools
summary:
* NY Board of Regents authorized voluntary daily prayer in public schools
* organizations sued, arguing it violated the Establishment Clause
* Court ruled that state endorsement of prayer, even if voluntary, is unconstitutional
- involves First Amendment – Establishment Clause
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
questions:
* Does a state law requiring school attendance violate the Free Exercise Clause if it contradicts religious beliefs?
ruling: in favor of Yoder
impacts:
* strengthened protections for religious freedom
* limited states’ ability to enforce compulsory education against religious beliefs
summary:
* Amish parents refused to send children to school past 8th grade
* charged under Wisconsin law mandating school attendance until age 16
* Court ruled that the Free Exercise Clause outweighed state interests in compulsory education
- involves First Amendment – Free Exercise Clause
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
questions:
* Does a prohibition against wearing armbands in public school, as a form of symbolic protest, violate the students’ freedom of speech?
ruling: in favor of Tinker
impacts:
* affirmed that students have free speech rights at school
* symbolic speech is protected by the First Amendment
* schools must prove disruption to justify limiting speech
summary:
* students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War
* school suspended students for wearing them
* Court ruled the armbands were a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment
- involves First Amendment – Freedom of Speech
New York Times v. United States (1971)
questions:
* Can the government use prior restraint to prevent newspapers from publishing classified information?
* Does national security override freedom of the press?
ruling: in favor of New York Times
impacts:
* strengthened the First Amendment protection for freedom of the press
* established a high burden for government to justify prior restraint
summary:
* Nixon administration tried to block publication of Pentagon Papers
* claimed national security concerns
* Court ruled government could not prevent publication; prior restraint not justified
- involves First Amendment – Freedom of the Press
Schenck v. United States (1919)
questions:
* Does the Espionage Act violate the First Amendment’s free speech protections during wartime?
* Can speech encouraging draft resistance be restricted?
ruling: in favor of United States
impacts:
* established “clear and present danger” test for speech restrictions
* limited First Amendment during wartime
summary:
* Schenck distributed leaflets urging draft resistance during WWI
* charged under the Espionage Act
* Court ruled speech encouraging illegal action (like draft resistance) could be restricted
- involves First Amendment – Freedom of Speech
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
questions:
* Does the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel apply to state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment?
ruling: in favor of Gideon
impacts:
* incorporated the right to an attorney to state courts
* strengthened the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of legal counsel
summary:
* Gideon was charged with a felony and denied a court-appointed lawyer in Florida
* filed a habeas corpus petition from prison
* Court ruled that the right to counsel is fundamental and must be provided in state courts
- involves selective incorporation – Sixth Amendment via Fourteenth Amendment
McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
questions:
* Does the Second Amendment apply to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause?
* Can cities ban handguns despite the individual right to bear arms?
ruling: in favor of McDonald
impacts:
* incorporated the Second Amendment right to bear arms to the states
* strengthened individual right to self-defense
summary:
* Chicago passed a handgun ban
* after District of Columbia v. Heller, residents sued to challenge it
* Court ruled the ban unconstitutional and applied the Second Amendment to the states
- involves selective incorporation – Second Amendment via Fourteenth Amendment
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
questions:
* Does racial segregation in public schools violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
ruling: in favor of Brown
impacts:
* overturned “separate but equal” doctrine
* declared school segregation unconstitutional
* required desegregation of public schools
summary:
* African American students were denied entry to white public schools
* challenged segregation under Equal Protection Clause
* Court ruled that “separate but equal” is inherently unequal
- involves Equal Protection Clause – Fourteenth Amendment
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
questions:
* Can restrictions on corporate spending in political campaigns violate the First Amendment?
* Are political donations by corporations protected speech?
ruling: in favor of Citizens United
impacts:
* allowed unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations
* led to creation of Super PACs
* considered political spending as a form of free speech
summary:
* Citizens United was blocked from airing an anti-Hillary film
* challenged BCRA limits on corporate political spending
* Court ruled corporations have First Amendment rights like individuals
- involves First Amendment – Free Speech Clause
Baker v. Carr (1962)
questions:
* Can federal courts rule on legislative apportionment issues?
* Does malapportionment violate the Equal Protection Clause?
ruling: in favor of Baker
impacts:
* opened the door for courts to hear redistricting cases
* led to “one person, one vote” doctrine
summary:
* Tennessee had not redistricted since 1901 despite population changes
* Charles Baker sued, citing unequal representation
* Court ruled that malapportionment was a justiciable issue
- involves Equal Protection Clause – Fourteenth Amendment
Shaw v. Reno (1993)
questions:
* Does racial gerrymandering violate the Equal Protection Clause?
* Can race be the sole factor in creating voting districts?
ruling: in favor of Shaw
impacts:
* declared racial gerrymandering unconstitutional
* districts can be challenged if race was the primary factor
summary:
* North Carolina created a bizarrely shaped district to ensure Black representation
* residents sued, claiming racial gerrymandering
* Court ruled the district shape indicated unconstitutional racial motivation
- involves Equal Protection Clause – Fourteenth Amendment
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
questions:
* Does Marbury have a right to his commission?
* Can the Supreme Court issue a writ of mandamus in this case?
* Does the Judiciary Act of 1789 violate the Constitution?
ruling: in favor of Madison (but really a win for the Court’s power)
impacts:
* established the principle of judicial review
* gave the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional
summary:
* Marbury sued for a commission he was promised as a judge under Adams
* Court ruled that part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional
* asserted the Court’s authority to interpret the Constitution
- involves judicial review
