Interprets Laws
Freedom of Speech at School
A student wears a T-shirt to school with a message about climate change. The school tells the student to take it off, saying it’s too political.
What would the court do?
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
What happened: Students wore black armbands to school to protest a war. The school suspended them.
What do you think happened?
Why do you think it mattered?
Disagreement Over Property Rights
What happened:
A homeowner in Florida had their property taken by the government for a new highway project. The homeowner argued that the government didn't offer enough compensation and filed a case in a lower court to get more money.
The lower court ruled that the government had followed the law, and the homeowner was paid according to the rules.
States Disagree Over Water Rights
What happened:
Two states, Georgia and Florida, had a long-standing disagreement about how to share water from the Chattahoochee River. Georgia wanted to use more water for its growing population and cities, while Florida argued that Georgia’s use was hurting the environment and the water flow needed for Florida’s agriculture and wildlife.
The disagreement:
The two states couldn't reach an agreement on how to fairly divide the water. They argued over how much each state should be allowed to use without harming the other state’s resources and environment.
Privacy and Cell Phones
Police take a student’s phone without a warrant and go through the text messages.
What would the court decide?
PGA Tour v. Martin (2001)
What happened: A golfer named Casey Martin had a disability and needed a cart to play, but the PGA said no.
What do you think the court decided?
Why do you think it mattered?
Voting Rights Act and Voter ID Laws
What happened:
In 2013, the state of Texas passed a law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. A lower court ruled that this law was discriminatory, as it could unfairly affect minority voters.
The lower court’s decision:
The lower court found that the photo ID law violated the Voting Rights Act because it disproportionately affected African American and Hispanic voters. The state of Texas appealed the decision to a higher court.
Disagreement Between the President and Congress Over Power
What happened:
In 2019, the President of the United States declared a national emergency to fund a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Congress disagreed with the President's decision, arguing that it was an overreach of presidential power and that Congress, not the President, had the authority to allocate funding.
The disagreement:
The disagreement came down to whether the President had the constitutional power to redirect funds from other areas of the government for the border wall without Congress's approval. The issue raised important questions about the balance of power between the President and Congress.
Voting Rights
A state passes a law that makes it harder for some people to vote, like by reducing voting hours or requiring special ID.
Riley v. California (2014)
Police arrested a man and searched his phone without a warrant.
How do you think the court ruled?
Why does it matter?
Corporate Power vs. State Regulations (Citizens United v. FEC)
The disagreement:
The central issue was whether the government (in this case, the Federal Election Commission, or FEC) could limit the political speech of corporations based on the First Amendment's protection of free speech. Citizens United (which was actually the name covering a large corporation) argued that these restrictions violated their rights to free speech because the government shouldn’t be able to control how much money a corporation can spend to influence elections.
Environmental Protection
A company pollutes a river that flows through several states. People living nearby say the pollution is making them sick.
Kelo v. City of New London (2005)
The city of New London wanted to take private land from homeowners to make room for new businesses, saying it would help the community.
How do you think the court ruled?
Why does it matter?
Service Animals in Public Places
A person with a disability brings their trained service dog into a restaurant, but the manager says, “No animals allowed.”
Unequal Access to Resources
In one town, schools have new computers and science labs because school support is based on property taxes and they have big property taxes (lots of money), while schools in poorer towns don’t. Parents and school districts argue this isn’t fair.