SC Cases
Describe Marbury v Maddison (1803)
Established the principle of judicial review—the power of the federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional
Describe Engel v. Vitale (1962)
The court ruled that he official recitation of prayers in public schools was found to be in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Describe Roe v. Wade (1973)
The United States Supreme Court ruled that regulations prohibiting abortion were unconstitutional.
Describe The Declaration of Independence
States the reasons the British colonies of North America sought independence in July of 1776, and establishes that all citizens are created equal and lays out the values that govern the United States of America.
Describe Federalist No. 51
Addressed how effective checks and balances in government can be established, as well as advocating for a separation of powers within the national government.
Describe McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
In this case, the Supreme Court held that Congress has implied powers derived from those listed in Article I, Section 8. The “Necessary and Proper” Clause gave Congress the power to establish a national bank.
Describe Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
The Supreme Court ruled that states must provide defense counsel to criminal defendants charged with serious crimes who cannot afford them.
Describe McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
The United States Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees "the right of the people to keep and bear arms," extends to both state and federal governments.
Describe The Articles of Confederation
This document established the United States as a confederation of sovereign states. The thirteen articles of the Articles of Confederation gave the states and the federal government separate powers.
Describe Federalist No. 78
Discusses the right of judicial review. It claims that the federal courts have the responsibility of deciding if acts of Congress are lawful, as well as what can be done if the government is confronted with actions that violate the Constitution.
Describe Schenck v. United States (1919)
Ruled that the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech may be limited if the words spoken or printed posed a "clear and present threat" to society.
Describe New York Times Company v. United States (1971)
The Supreme Court ruled that The New York Times' right to publish the then-classified Pentagon Papers without fear of government censorship or prosecution was protected by the First Amendment.
Describe Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
Under the First Amendment, companies and associations have the same free expression protections as persons, according to the United States Supreme Court.
Describe The Constitution of the United States
The United States Constitution defined the country's central government and fundamental laws, as well as guaranteeing people certain basic rights. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed it on September 17, 1787.
Describe Letter from a Birmingham Jail
According to Dr. King, we are all responsible for ensuring justice around the country—and across the world. Simply enacting legislation does not determine or limit justice. After all, laws are essentially only human-written terms.
Describe Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously (9–0) that racial discrimination in public schools violated the Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, which forbids states from depriving anyone under their jurisdiction of equal protection under the law.
Describe Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
The Supreme Court ruled that public school administrators should only suppress student expression if they can fairly predict that it would significantly interrupt school events or infringe on others' rights.
Describe Shaw v. Reno (1993)
The Supreme Court of the United States decided in a landmark case on redistricting and racial gerrymandering that redistricting based on race would be subjected to strict oversight under the equal protection clause.
Describe Federalist No. 10
This article, written by James Madison, defended the Constitution's proposed form of republican government. In this article, he looked at majority rule vs. minority rights.
Describe Federalist No. 70
Argues in support of the United States Constitution's Article II, which established a unitary executive. A unitary executive is required to: ensure government transparency. Allows the president to protect themselves against legislative attempts to limit their authority.
Describe Baker v. Carr (1961)
The case also established that the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over legislative apportionment issues. Also ruled that each vote should be given equal weight regardless of where the elector lives.
Describe Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
The Court decided that under the First Amendment, an individual's right to free exercise of religion outweighed the state's interest in requiring school attendance beyond the eighth grade.
Describe United States v. Lopez (1995)
The United States Supreme Court ruled that the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was unconstitutional because Congress had overstepped its bounds under the Constitution's commerce clause.
Describe Brutus No. 1
Argued that federal authority is bad and that the Constitution gives the federal government too much power. A representative democracy, according to Brutus, would only result in the creation of an elite group of citizens who would lead the country due to the concentration of power.