Supreme Court Cases 1
Marbury V. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was a landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review in the United States, meaning the Court has the power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. The case, decided in 1803, involved a dispute over whether the Supreme Court had the authority to compel the delivery of a judicial commission to William Marbury.
Brown V. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that outlawed racial segregation in public schools, effectively ending the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. The Court ruled that separate facilities for Black and white students were inherently unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision was a major turning point in the fight for civil rights in the United States.
New York Times Company v. United States
The case New York Times Co. v. United States, often called the "Pentagon Papers" case, was a 1971 Supreme Court decision regarding the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. The case arose when the Nixon administration attempted to prevent the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing classified information about the Vietnam War. The Supreme Court ruled that the government could not block the publication, affirming the principle that prior restraint on the press is a very high bar to overcome.
Declaration of Independence
Key Points:
Articles of Confederation
Key Features and Functions:
Weaknesses and Consequences:
Lack of National Currency and Trade:.Opens in new tabThe government couldn't regulate currency or interstate trade, leading to economic instability.
Engel v. Vitale
In the 1962 case of Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory, school-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Specifically, the Court determined that the New York Board of Regents' prayer, though nondenominational, constituted government endorsement of religion, which is forbidden by the Establishment Clause. This case significantly impacted the separation of church and state in public education.
Schenck v. United States
In Schenck v. United States (1919), the U.S. Supreme Court established the "clear and present danger" test, which limits First Amendment protections for speech that creates a direct and imminent threat of harm. This test allowed the government to restrict speech, particularly during times of war, if it was deemed to pose a clear and present danger to national security.
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
In the landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), the Supreme Court affirmed that students do not lose their First Amendment rights (specifically freedom of speech) at the schoolhouse gate. The court ruled that school officials could not prohibit student expression unless it disrupts the educational process. The case arose from students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War.
Constitution
Key Features:
The Bill of Rights + Other Amendments
Amendment 1 Freedoms, Petitions, Assembly
Amendment 2 Right to bear arms
Amendment 3 Quartering of soldiers
Amendment 4 Search and arrest
Amendment 5 Rights in criminal cases
Amendment 6 Right to a fair trial
Amendment 7 Rights in civil cases
Amendment 8 Bail, fines, punishment
Amendment 9 Rights retained by the People
Amendment 10 States' rights
Amendment 11 Lawsuits against states
Amendment 12 Presidential elections
Amendment 13 Abolition of slavery
Amendment 14 Civil rights
Amendment 15 Black suffrage
Amendment 16 Income taxes
Amendment 17 Senatorial elections
Amendment 18 Prohibition of liquor
Amendment 19 Women's suffrage
Amendment 20 Terms of office
Amendment 21 Repeal of Prohibition
Amendment 22 Term Limits for the Presidency
Amendment 23 Washington, D.C., suffrage
Amendment 24 Abolition of poll taxes
Amendment 25 Presidential succession
Amendment 26 18-year-old suffrage
Amendment 27 Congressional pay raises
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court regarding campaign finance laws, in which the Court found that laws restricting the political spending of corporations and unions are inconsistent with the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Wisconsin v. Yoder
In the 1972 case Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Supreme Court held that forcing Amish parents to send their children to school beyond the eighth grade violated their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. The Court reasoned that the state's interest in universal education did not outweigh the Amish's fundamental right to religious upbringing, particularly when their religious practices were deeply rooted and didn't pose a direct threat to the public good.
McCulloch v. Maryland
In the landmark case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819),, the Supreme Court affirmed the principle of implied powers, a crucial concept in interpreting the Constitution. The Court ruled that Congress had the power to establish a national bank, arguing that this power was "necessary and proper" to carry out its enumerated powers, such as regulating currency and trade. Additionally, the case established that states could not tax federal institutions, like the national bank, that were carrying out legal federal powers.
Brutus No. 1
Brutus No. 1, an Anti-Federalist essay, argues that a strong, consolidated national government, like the one proposed by the U.S. Constitution, is dangerous for a large, diverse nation. The author, Brutus, warns that such a government would inevitably lead to tyranny and the destruction of individual liberties, particularly those of state governments.
Federalist No. 10
It is difficult for factions to gain control because our country is so big and there are so many opposing viewpoints. This is why a republic is better because it can also help to limit factions.
Baker v. Carr
In the landmark 1962 case Baker v. Carr, the Supreme Court determined that federal courts could hear cases challenging state-drawn electoral boundaries (redistricting), specifically those that violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision was a major step towards establishing the principle of "one person, one vote".
Gideon v. Wainwright
In the landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Supreme Court ruled that states must provide attorneys to indigent criminal defendants in all cases, ensuring the Sixth Amendment right to legal representation applies to both federal and state courts. This decision, which overturned the prior precedent in Powell v. Alabama, fundamentally altered the landscape of criminal justice by requiring states to ensure all defendants, regardless of their financial status, have access to legal counsel.
United States v. Lopez
In the case of United States v. Lopez, the Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that Congress had overstepped its authority under the Commerce Clause by enacting the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. The Court determined that possessing a gun in a school zone is not an economic activity that substantially affects interstate commerce, and therefore, the law was unconstitutional, according to a 5-4 decision.
Federalist No.51
Checks and Balances; Separation of Powers; "if men were angels"
Federalist No.71
An energetic executive; unitary government
Shaw v. Reno
In the case of Shaw v. Reno, the Supreme Court ruled that race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing electoral district boundaries. This landmark decision established that racial gerrymandering, the practice of manipulating district lines to create majority-minority districts, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court's 5-4 decision, written by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, emphasized the need for fairness in representation and held that race should not be the sole basis for redrawing voting districts.
Significant Clauses that provide power to Congress
Necessary and Proper Clause (elastic)
Supremacy Clause (supreme law of the land)
Commerce Clause (trade, economic influence)
McDonald v. City of Chicago
In the case of McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010), the US Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applies to state and local governments, not just the federal government. This landmark decision, decided 5-4, effectively incorporated the Second Amendment into the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause, meaning states and municipalities cannot infringe upon this right.
Federalist No. 78
Judicial branch; lifetime tenure leads to less corruption; the judicial branch does not have much power because it cannot enforce things, and the executive branch has the power of the sword, and the legislative branch has the power of the purse.
Letter from Birmingham Jail
In "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. defends his nonviolent protests against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, responding to criticism from eight white clergymen. He argues that justice delayed is justice denied and that individuals have a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. King also explains the four stages of a nonviolent campaign: fact-finding, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. He addresses being labeled an "outsider," asserting that injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere