Foundational Supreme Court Cases (AP U.S. Government)

This set covers 15 foundational Supreme Court cases for AP U.S. Government, detailing their legal summary, governing amendment or clause, specific ruling, and historical impact.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

A landmark case that established the power of judicial review under Article III, giving the Supreme Court the authority to declare part of the Judiciary Act unconstitutional and strike down laws that conflict with the Constitution.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Ruled that under the Necessary & Proper and Supremacy Clauses, states cannot tax the federal government and Congress has implied powers, which expanded federal power over the states.

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

Limitied federal power and emphasized state control by ruling that the Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Reinforced the separation of church and state by ruling that school-sponsored prayer in public schools is unconstitutional under the 1st Amendment’s Establishment Clause.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Expanded religious liberty by ruling that a state law requiring school attendance violated Amish parents’ rights under the 1st Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Protected symbolic speech in schools under the 1st Amendment, ruling that students have free speech at school provided it is not disruptive.

New York Times Co. v. U.S. (1971)

Protected freedom of the press against government censorship by ruling that prior restraint is rarely justified, specifically regarding the publication of the Pentagon Papers.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Set a precedent for limiting 1st Amendment free speech during wartime if that speech presents a “clear and present danger.”

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Expanded the rights of the accused through incorporation, ruling that the 6th Amendment (Right to Counsel) via the 14th Amendment requires states to provide attorneys to those who cannot afford one.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Nationalized abortion rights by ruling that a woman has a right to an abortion in the first trimester based on an implied right to privacy from the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause; later overturned by Dobbs in 2022.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Strengthened individual gun rights through selective incorporation by applying the 2nd Amendment to the states via the 14th Amendment.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that segregated public schools were unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Ruled that political spending by corporations is protected speech under the 1st Amendment, allowing for unlimited independent political spending and the rise of Super PACs.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Ruled that federal courts can hear redistricting cases under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, leading to the principle of “one person, one vote.”

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Limited racial gerrymandering by ruling that drawing district lines based primarily on race is unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.