ap gov scotus cases

marbury vs madison

• came from a political dispute over

• madison technically “won”, but the supreme court ultimately won

• established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional thus shaping the balance of power among the branches of government

muccolloch vs. maryland

• congress created a bank, and Maryland passed a law to tax the bank

• McCulloch won

• necessary and proper clause

• court stated that Congress had the power to establish the bank, but maryland could not tax the bank because it interfered with their ability to do the job that they are told to do

• federal over state power

united states vs lopez

• lopez brought a armed weapon on school ground with the intent of selling it

• commerce clause

• the law sided with lopez as is stated that it had nothing to do with “commerce” or any sort of economic activity

baker vs. carr

• tenesee had outdated boundaries because distribution of boundaries had changed, carr felt that it had denied him his rights for equal protection

• equal protection clause of 14th amendment

• ruled that redistricting is a justiciable issue and meant that federal courts could review and intervene in cases of legislative malapportionment, paving the way for the principle for “one person, one vote”

shaw vs reno

• North Carolina’s racially gerrymandered congressional district

• equal protection clause of the 14th amendment

• decision established that districts drawn predominantly on racial lines, even with good intentions, can unconstitutional

brown vs board of education

• racial segregation in public schools

• equal protection clause of the 14th amendment

• declared that “se[arate but equal” educational facilities were inherently unequal, overturning Plessy v Ferguson and marking a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement