Foundations of Judicial Power
This case began when William Marbury sued for his judicial commission, and the Court refused to grant it. What case established judicial review, giving the Court the power to strike down unconstitutional laws?
What is Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
Public schools across the South were segregated under “separate but equal” laws. Which case struck down school segregation as unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause?
What is Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?
During World War I, a man distributed leaflets urging resistance to the draft and was arrested. Which case created the “clear and present danger” test to limit speech in times of national crisis?
What is Schenck v. United States (1919)?
A New York school district led students in a voluntary prayer each morning. Which case ruled that school-sponsored prayer violates the Establishment Clause?
What is Engel v. Vitale (1962)?
A man was denied an attorney in a state felony trial, even though he couldn’t afford one. Which case extended the Sixth Amendment right to counsel to state courts?
What is Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)?
A state tried to tax the national bank, raising the question of federal vs. state authority. Which case ruled that the Constitution and federal laws are supreme over state laws?
A: What is McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
A state drew a majority-minority congressional district in a strange shape, and voters challenged it. Which case ruled that racial gerrymandering could violate the Equal Protection Clause?
A: What is Shaw v. Reno (1993)?
Students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, and the school suspended them. Which case ruled that students do not lose free speech rights just because they are in school?
What is Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)?
The state of Wisconsin required Amish children to attend school past the 8th grade, but families objected. Which case ruled this law violated the Free Exercise Clause?
What is Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)?
Students protesting with armbands were suspended, and the Court ruled in their favor. Which case said student speech could only be limited if it caused disruption?
What is Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)?
When Congress banned guns in school zones under the Commerce Clause, a student challenged the law. Which case limited Congress’s power, saying the law went beyond regulating commerce?
What is United States v. Lopez (1995)?
Rural voters in Tennessee sued because their districts had not been updated in decades, giving urban areas less representation. Which case allowed federal courts to hear redistricting cases under the Equal Protection Clause?
What is Baker v. Carr (1962)?
The government tried to block newspapers from publishing the Pentagon Papers about Vietnam. Which case established a strong presumption against prior restraint, protecting freedom of the press?
What is New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)?
Students protested the Vietnam War with black armbands, and the Court protected their actions. Which case confirmed that symbolic expression in schools is protected free speech?
What is Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)?
A student carried a gun to school and was charged under a federal law. Which case ruled Congress exceeded its power under the Commerce Clause?
What is United States v. Lopez (1995)?
Corporations and unions wanted to spend unlimited money on political campaigns, and the Court weighed free speech rights. Which case ruled that political spending is a protected form of speech under the First Amendment?
What is Citizens United v. FEC (2010)?
In the 1990s, North Carolina’s oddly drawn district raised concerns that race was the main factor in its creation. Which case held that race cannot be the only reason for drawing district lines?
What is Shaw v. Reno (1993)?
Corporations wanted to spend freely on campaign ads, and the Court debated if money was speech. Which case allowed unlimited political spending by groups as free expression?
What is Citizens United v. FEC (2010)?
A group of parents challenged government involvement in religious activities at school. Which case strengthened the separation of church and state in education?
What is Engel v. Vitale (1962)?
Chicago’s handgun ban conflicted with the right to bear arms, leading to a Supreme Court challenge. Which case incorporated the Second Amendment to apply at the state level?
What is McDonald v. Chicago (2010)?
Chicago tried to restrict handgun ownership even after the Second Amendment guaranteed the right to bear arms. Which case incorporated that right to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment?
What is McDonald v. Chicago (2010)?
In challenging school segregation, the Court revisited and overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. Which case ruled that “separate but equal” had no place in education?
What is Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?
A socialist organizer’s pamphlets led the Court to set limits on protected speech. Which case said free speech could be restricted if it posed a direct and immediate danger?
A: What is Schenck v. United States (1919)?
Religious liberty clashed with state laws about education requirements for children. Which case protected religious practices against government mandates?
What is Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)?
The Nixon administration tried to prevent damaging documents about the Vietnam War from being published. Which case protected the press from prior restraint, even during national security concerns?
What is New York Times v. United States (1971)?