Marbury vs. Madison / Mccullch vs. Maryland/ Schenck vs United States
MARBURY V. MADISON (1803)
The case arose from President John Adams’ "midnight appointments" after the passing of this act, which was partially struck down in the ruling.
What is the Judiciary Act of 1789
BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION (1954)
This 1954 Supreme Court case declared that the doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment when applied to public education.
What is "separate but equal"
ENGEL V. VITALE (1962)
Engel v. Vitale ruled that school-sponsored prayer, even if voluntary and non-denominational, violated this part of the First Amendment.
What is the Establishment Clause
TINKER V. DES MOINES INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT (1969)
The students in Tinker v. Des Moines were protesting this event, leading to a landmark ruling on the limits of student expression in public schools.
What is the Vietnam War
SHAW V. RENO (1993)
1. In Shaw v. Reno, the Supreme Court ruled that redistricting based predominantly on this characteristic, even with good intentions, violated the Equal Protection Clause.
2. This case addressed the constitutionality of creating majority-minority districts, focusing on whether redistricting in North Carolina violated this Constitutional Amendment.**
1. What is race
2. What is the 14th Amendment
MARBURY V. MADISON (1803)
The Marbury v. Madison decision involved a dispute over the delivery of commissions for this role, which Marbury was seeking to assume.
What is Justice of the Peace
SCHENCK V. UNITED STATES (1919)
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. famously used this metaphor in the opinion to explain the limits of free speech, comparing Schenck’s actions to falsely shouting this in a crowded theater.
What is "fire"
ENGEL V. VITALE (1962)
The Court's decision in Engel v. Vitale emphasized the principle of this Constitutional doctrine, preventing the government from endorsing religion in public schools.
What is the separation of church and state
NEW YORK TIMES CO. V. UNITED STATES (1971)
In this case, the Supreme Court defended the press’s right to publish classified information without government interference, reaffirming the protections offered by this Constitutional Amendment.
What is the First Amendment?
UNITED STATES V. LOPEZ (1995)
1. In United States v. Lopez, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had overstepped its bounds by using this Constitutional power to regulate gun possession in school zones.
2. The ruling in United States v. Lopez limited Congress’s ability to regulate activities under the Commerce Clause, marking the first time since the New Deal that the Court had restricted the use of this power.
1. What is the Commerce Clause
2. What is federal legislative authority
MCCULLOCH V. MARYLAND (1819)
In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Court invoked this constitutional clause to justify the creation of a national bank, as necessary to execute the government’s enumerated powers.
What is the Necessary and Proper Clause
BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION (1954)
This famous legal organization, which included future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, played a key role in representing the plaintiffs and arguing against segregation in Brown v. Board of Education.
What is the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT (1963)
Gideon v. Wainwright expanded the rights of the accused by ruling that the state must provide this to defendants who cannot afford it, in felony cases.
What is legal counsel (or a public defender)
NEW YORK TIMES CO. V. UNITED STATES
New York Times v. United States was famously associated with this set of secret documents concerning the Vietnam War.
What are the Pentagon Papers
MCDONALD V. CHICAGO
1. In McDonald v. Chicago, the Supreme Court ruled that this Amendment's right, which protects an individual's right to bear arms, is applicable to state governments through the 14th Amendment.
2.McDonald v. Chicago incorporated the right to bear arms to the states via this specific clause of the 14th Amendment, limiting how much state and local governments can regulate firearms.
1. What is the Second Amendment?
2. What is the Due Process Clause?
MCCULLOCH V. MARYLAND (1819)
This case resolved the question of whether a state could tax a federal entity, reinforcing the principle that federal laws take precedence over state laws under this clause.
What is the Supremacy Clause
BAKER V. CARR (1962)
This landmark decision opened the door for federal courts to intervene in and decide cases involving this process, ensuring fair representation across districts.
What is redistricting
GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT (1963)
This case reinforced the application of the 6th Amendment’s guarantee of counsel to all felony defendants, as made applicable to the states through this Amendment.
What is the 14th Amendment
WISCONSIN V. YODER (1972)
This case allowed Amish parents to withdraw their children from public schooling after 8th grade, citing protections under this Constitutional Amendment.
What is the First Amendment
CITIZENS UNITED V. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION (2010)
In Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court ruled that restrictions on this type of spending by corporations and unions in political campaigns violated the First Amendment.**
What is independent political spending (or independent expenditures)
SCHENCK V. UNITED STATES (1919)
The ruling determined that Schenck’s actions were not protected by the First Amendment because they occurred during this period, when the nation was considered to be in heightened peril.
What is wartime (World War I)
BAKER V. CARR (1962)
Baker v. Carr was based on the principle that legislative districts must be proportionate in population to comply with this Constitutional clause.
What is the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment
TINKER V. DES MOINES INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT (1969)
In Tinker v. Des Moines, the Supreme Court ruled that students have the right to this, as long as it does not disrupt school activities.
What is free speech or symbolic speech
WISCONSIN V. YODER (1972)
In Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Court ruled that the state's compulsory education laws violated the rights of this religious group’s ability to practice their faith.
Who are the Amish
CITIZENS UNITED V. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION
This case overturned provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, asserting that political spending is a form of speech protected under this Constitutional Amendment.
What is the First Amendment