Required supreme court cases AP US GOV

McCulloch v. Maryland

Established federal supremacy and upheld the constitutionality of the national bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause. States cannot tax federal institutions.

United States v. Lopez

Limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause by ruling that the Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded federal authority.

Baker v. Carr

Established the principle of 'one person, one vote,' allowing federal courts to intervene in redistricting cases under the Equal Protection Clause.

Shaw v. Reno

Prohibited racial gerrymandering, ruling that race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing electoral districts.

Marbury v. Madison

Established judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.

Engel v. Vitale

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

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Recognized the rights of parents to remove their children from public school after 8th grade for religious reasons under the Free Exercise Clause.

Tinker v. Des Moines

Affirmed students' right to free speech in schools, as long as it does not disrupt the learning environment.

Schenck v. United States

Established the 'clear and present danger' test, ruling that speech creating a significant risk of harm is not protected under the First Amendment.

New York Times v. United States

Reinforced freedom of the press, ruling that the government cannot impose prior restraint unless publication poses a direct, immediate threat to national security.

McDonald v. Chicago

Incorporated the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Guaranteed the right to legal counsel for criminal defendants in state courts under the Sixth Amendment.

Brown v. Board of Education

Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, emphasizing 'separate but equal' is inherently unequal.

Citizens United v. FEC

Allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns, ruling that such spending is protected as free speech under the First Amendment.