AP US Gov. Supreme Cases To Know

14 Supreme Courts You Need To Know For The AP Exam

Marbury V. Madison

-Established Judicial Review

-National Supremacy

-Elevated Supreme Court to equal status

McCulloch V. Maryland

Constitutional Power to build a National Bank

-National Supremacy (Article VI)

-Strengthen National Gov’t in relation to the states

-Article I, Section 8 (Necessary & Proper Clause; Elastic Clause)

United States V. Lopez

Congress can’t use commerce clause to enact gun regulations

-Weakened National gov’t in relation to the states

-Article I, Section 8 (Commerce Clause)

Engele V. Vitale

School sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause

-Establishment Clause (Separation of church and state)

-1st Amendment

Wisconsin V. Yoder

Established the precedent that an individual's right to exercise their religious beliefs

-Free Exercise Clause

-1st Amendment

Tinker V. Des Moines Independent Community School District

Cemented students' right to free speech in public schools

-Freedom of Speech

-1st Amendment

New York Times Co. V. United States

Defending the First Amendment right of a free press against prior restraint by the government

-Freedom of the press

-Prior Restraint

-1st Amendment

Schenck V. United States

Speech creating a “clear and present danger” not protected by first amendment

-1st freedom of speech case

-established limits on freedom of speech

Gideon V. Wainwright

Guaranteed the right to an attorney for the indigent (poor)

-6th Amendment (right to counsel/attorney)

McDonald V. Chicago

Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self-defense is applicable to the states

-2nd Amendment

-Supreme Court said local governments can’t restrict handguns

Brown V. Board of Education

Race-based school segregation violates the equal protection clause

-14th Amendment (Equal Protection Clause)

Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission

Political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions form of protected speech under First Amendment

-1st Amendment (Freedom of Speech)

Baker V. Carr

stablished the right of federal courts to review redistricting issues, which had previously been termed "political questions" outside the courts' jurisdiction

-14th Amendment (Equal Protection Clause)

Shaw V. Reno

The justices decided that using racial reasons for redistricting is unconstitutional

-Voting Rights Act of 1965

-14th Amendment (Equal Protection Clause)