Key Supreme Court Cases and Constitutional Questions

Flashcards that summarize key Supreme Court cases and their constitutional implications.

Marbury v. Madison

Established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to nullify laws that conflict with the Constitution.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Confirmed that Congress has implied powers and that states cannot tax a federally chartered bank due to the supremacy clause.

Schenck v. United States

Established that speech creating a 'clear and present danger' is not protected by the First Amendment.

Brown v. Board of Education

Ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional, reversing 'separate but equal' established by Plessy v. Ferguson.

Baker v. Carr

Established the principle of 'one man, one vote' and allowed federal courts to review redistricting challenges.

Engel v. Vitale

Ruled that school-sponsored prayer violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Held that the Sixth Amendment's right to counsel is applicable to state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Tinker v. Des Moines

Protected symbolic speech in public schools, ruling that students do not lose their First Amendment rights at school.

New York Times v. United States

Established a 'heavy presumption against prior restraint' even in cases involving national security.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Ruled that compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.

Shaw v. Reno

Determined that racially gerrymandering legislative districts is unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment.

United States v. Lopez

Held that Congress cannot use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime.

McDonald v. Chicago

Held that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self-defense applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.