FL civic literacy exam - amendments & supreme court cases

1st amendment

freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition

2nd amendment

the right to keep and bear arms

3rd amendment

prohibits the quartering of soldiers in private homes during peacetime

4th amendment

protection against unreasonable searches and seizures

5th amendment

protects against self-incrimination and guarantees due process of law

6th amendment

guarantees the right to a fair and speedy trial, an impartial jury, and the right to counsel

7th amendment

right to trial by jury in civil cases

8th amendment

prohibits cruel and unusual punishment

9th amendment

protects rights not enumerated in the Constitution

10th amendment

reinforces the principle of federalism

anything not defined in the Constitution belongs to the states

11th amendment

federal courts can’t hear lawsuits against a state if the person is suing from another state or foreign country

12th amendment

the president and vice president are elected together

13th amendment

abolishes slavery

14th amendment

guarantees citizenship and equal rights for everyone born or naturalized in the US

15th amendment

allows all men to vote regardless of race

16th amendment

allows Congress to levy income tax without having to divide the tax among states based on population

17th amendment

establishes the direct election of US Senators by popular vote

18th amendment

made manufacturing or sale of alcohol within the US illegal

was repealed by the 21st amendment

19th amendment

allowed women to vote

20th amendment

changes the date of which the terms of the president and vice president and of members of Congress end and begin

21st amendment

allows for the transport and import of alcohol into the US

22nd amendment

limits the amount of times one person can be president

23rd amendment

grants the District of Columbia electors in the Electoral College

24th amendment

made poll taxes illegal

25th amendment

addresses the succession of presidency

president —> vice president —> speaker of the House

26th amendment

lowered voting age from 21 to 18

27th amendment

delays laws affecting Congressional salary from taking effect until after the next election of representatives

Dred Scott v. Sandford

Supreme Court decided that Scott was not a citizen of the state so they had no jurisdiction in the matter, but stated that he was not a free man

Congress lacks power to ban slavery in US territories

nullified the Missouri Compromise

Plessy v. Ferguson

Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation is constitutional under the separate but equal doctrine

overturned later by Brown v. Board of Education

Brown v. Board of Education

Court decided that the state laws requiring separate but equal schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment

began desegregation process of schools

Regents of the U. of California v. Bakke

Court established that race was a permissible criteria as long as it wasn’t the primary one

Bush v. Gore

Court decided that the use of different standards of counting votes in different counties violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment

Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission

Hillary Clinton movie wanted to be released but would hurt her reputation close to the election

Court held that the free speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the restriction of independent expenditures for communications by corporations, labor unions and other associations

Engel v. Vitale **

violated the first amendment of freedom of religion

Court decided that school initiated prayer in the public school system violated the First Amendment

West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette

West Virginia schools required everyone to participate in saluting the flag

this went against the first amendment

Supreme Court found that it was unconstitutional for public schools to compel students to salute the flag

Texas v. Johnson

Supreme Court determined that Johnson’s actions were symbolic speech protected by his First Amendment Rights

Tinker v. Des Moines

Black arm bands

Supreme Court determined that Johnson’s actions were symbolic speech protected by his First Amendment Rights

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier

The Supreme Court decided that the Principal had the right to such editorial decisions, as he had “legitimate pedagogical (educational) concerns” and administrators can edit materials to reflect school values

DC v. Heller

right to bear arms is not unlimited and that guns and gun ownership would continue to be regulated

Mapp v. Ohio

The Court determined that evidence obtained through a search that violates the Fourth Amendment is inadmissible in state courts

Evidence that the police found was thrown out and Mapp was not found guilty

New Jersey v. TLO

Supreme court decided that the search through the students bag for cigarettes did not violate the Constitution and established more lenient standards for reasonableness in school searches

Student rights are more limited

Miranda v. Arizona

Miranda was arrested but the police did not inform him of his fifth or sixth amendment rights

Supreme Court decided that the police had not taken proper steps to inform Miranda of his rights

Gideon v. Wainwright

the sixth amendment requires state courts to provide attorneys for criminal defendants who cannot otherwise afford counsel

Roe v. Wade

allowed for abortions during the first trimester

Korematsu v. United States

FDR signed an executive order forcing many West Coast Japanese Americans into internment camps

Korematsu said that he was being discriminated against based on his race and that they didn’t have the power to issue the relocation

The Court said that the need to protect the country was a greater priority than the individual rights of the Japanese and Japanese Americans

Marbury v. Madison

This case resulted in establishment of the concept of judicial review - the ability of federal courts to declare legislative and executive actions unconstitutional (the Supreme Court has the right to review and rule on these kinds of elements of the constitution)

Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land

This established the Constitution as actual law, not just political ideas

Supremacy clause makes the Constitution that Supreme Law of the Land

Gibbons v. Ogden

Supreme Court determined that the commerce clause of the Constitution grants the federal government the power to determine how interstate commerce is conducted

McCulloch v. Maryland

The Supreme Court decided that Congress has implied powers - broad power to implement the enumerated powers of the Constitution - that allow it to create a national bank, even though the Constitution does not explicitly state that power, and that Maryland’s taxing of its branches was unconstitutional

United States v. Nixon

A subpoena was issued saying Nixon had to release the tapes (meaning you must do what the court says)

The Supreme Court decided that executive privilege is not limitless, and the tapes were released (no one is above the law)