WGU C963 - Supreme Court Cases

Credit Original Author: DeQuann G. (Study Guide)

Miller v Johnson

A Supreme Court case addressing affirmative gerrymandering to enhance minority Congressional representation.

Buckley v Valeo

Landmark case ruling that election spending is equivalent to free speech while upholding hard-money donation limits.

Marbury v Madison

Established the Supreme Court's power of judicial review to overturn laws conflicting with the Constitution.

McCulloch v Maryland

Expanded federal power using the Necessary and Proper Clause and Supremacy Clause, allowing for a national bank.

Gibbons v Ogden

Supreme Court case interpreting the Commerce Clause, affirming federal authority over interstate steamboat licensing.

Citizens United v FEC

Ruled that corporations and unions have free speech rights to spend money on their interests, reversing McCain-Feingold restrictions.

Obergefell v Hodges

Landmark case that legalized same-sex marriage, supported by numerous amicus briefs.

McDonald v City of Chicago

Applied the Second Amendment to states, preventing interference with firearm ownership for self-defense.

Lemon v Kurtzman

Established the Lemon test for evaluating government actions promoting religious practices.

Sherbert v Verner

Required a compelling governmental interest and narrow tailoring for laws limiting religious practices.

Burwell v Hobby Lobby

Addressed whether companies must provide contraception coverage despite religious objections.

Carson v Makin

Ruled that states funding private education cannot exclude religious schools based solely on their religious status.

Texas v Johnson

Found flag burning to be symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment, ruling the law unconstitutional.

Tinker v Des Moines

Ruled that suspensions for wearing armbands violated students' free speech rights.

Cohen v California

Overturned conviction for wearing a jacket opposing the draft, emphasizing freedom of expression.

Miller v California

Established the Miller test for determining obscenity.

Plessy v Rerguson

Upheld segregation as not violating the 14th Amendment, allowing states to regulate public conduct of people of color.

Gideon v Wainwright

Set the precedent for providing legal counsel to low-income defendants in felony cases.

Mapp v Ohio

Ruled that evidence obtained without a warrant is inadmissible in court.

United States v Miller

Allowed Congress to regulate firearms not used by the military based on the Second Amendment.

Griswold v Connecticut

Affirmed the right of married couples to use birth control.

Brandenburg v Ohio

Challenged a law prohibiting speech advocating illegal activities, involving the KKK.

Brown v Board of Education Topeka

Challenged the "separate but equal" doctrine of racial segregation established by Plessy v. Ferguson.

Branzburg v Hayes

Limited journalists' rights to withhold the names of sources.