AP Government Required Supreme Court Cases and Foundational Documents

Flashcards covering essential Supreme Court cases and foundational historical documents from the AP U.S. Government curriculum.

Marbury v. Madison $(1803)$

Established judicial review, giving courts the power to strike down laws and strengthening the Supreme Court's role as the final interpreter of the Constitution.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to strike down laws, established by the case of Marbury v. Madison $(1803)$, originating from a dispute over undelivered judicial commissions.

McCulloch v. Maryland $(1819)$

A case upholding Congress's creation of a national bank and reinforcing federal supremacy via the Supremacy Clause and implied powers from the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Schenck v. United States $(1919)$

Ruled that speech can be limited during wartime and created the "clear and present danger" test, using the distribution of anti-draft leaflets as an example of non-protected speech.

Brown v. Board of Education $(1954)$

Ruled that racial segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson.

Baker v. Carr $(1962)$

Allowed federal courts to hear redistricting cases, leading to the principle of "one person, one vote" to ensure districts have roughly equal populations.

Engel v. Vitale $(1962)$

Struck down state-sponsored prayer in public schools, ruling that even non-denominational prayer violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright $(1963)$

Required states to provide attorneys to defendants who cannot afford one, based on the $6^{th}$ Amendment right to counsel and incorporated via the $14^{th}$ Amendment.

Tinker v. Des Moines $(1969)$

Protected symbolic speech (student expression), such as wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, unless it causes a substantial disruption in school.

New York Times Co. v. United States $(1971)$

A case regarding the Pentagon Papers that strengthened freedom of the press by ruling that prior restraint is mostly unconstitutional.

Prior Restraint

Extreme censorship where the government prohibits speech or expression before it occurs; ruled mostly unconstitutional in New York Times Co. v. United States.

Wisconsin v. Yoder $(1972)$

Ruled that compulsory education violated the Free Exercise rights of Amish families, demonstrating that religious freedom can outweigh state laws.

Roe v. Wade $(1973)$

Recognized a constitutional right to privacy in abortion decisions based on the Due Process Clause of the $14^{th}$ Amendment.

Shaw v. Reno $(1993)$

Challenged racial gerrymandering in congressional districts, ruling that such districts must meet strict scrutiny according to the Equal Protection Clause.

United States v. Lopez $(1995)$

Struck down the Gun-Free School Zones Act, ruling it exceeded Congress's Commerce Clause power and marking a shift toward limiting federal authority.

McDonald v. Chicago $(2010)$

Extended the $2^{nd}$ Amendment right to states through selective incorporation via the $14^{th}$ Amendment, preventing local governments from banning handguns.

Citizens United v. FEC $(2010)$

Struck down limits on independent political spending by corporations, holding it as protected free speech and leading to the rise of Super PACs.

The Declaration of Independence $(1776)$

Foundational document emphasizing popular sovereignty, natural rights, and the social contract, stating the people have the right to overthrow a government that violates "unalienable rights."

The Articles of Confederation $(1781)$

The first U.S. constitution that created a weak national government lacking the power to tax, regulate commerce, or raise a national army.

The U.S. Constitution $(1787)$

Created a stronger central government based on republicanism, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances.

Federalist No. $10$

Written by James Madison; argues that a large republic is the best way to control the negative effects of factions by ensuring no single majority can easily oppress the minority.

Factions

Interest groups or parties that James Madison argued were inevitable and dangerous to democracy in Federalist No. $10$.

Brutus No. $1$

Anti-Federalist document arguing that a large republic results in a government too distant from the people and that the Supremacy and Necessary and Proper clauses give the federal government unlimited power.

Federalist No. $51$

Written by James Madison; focuses on checks and balances and separation of powers, stating that "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition."

Federalist No. $70$

Written by Alexander Hamilton; argues for a single, unitary executive (the President) to ensure energy, decisiveness, and accountability to the public.

Federalist No. $78$

Written by Alexander Hamilton; describes the Judiciary as the "least dangerous branch," arguing for judicial review and life tenure for judges to protect the Constitution.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail $(1963)$

Written by Martin Luther King Jr.; argues that people have a moral responsibility to use nonviolent direct action to break unjust laws, based on the $14^{th}$ Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.