AP Gov & Politics Required SCOTUS Cases

The 13 required SCOTUS Cases for AP US Government and Politics

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

This case said the Supreme Court gets the final say on what the Constitution means. It created the power of judicial review.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

A state tried to tax the national bank, but the Court said no. Strengthened federal power using the Necessary and Proper Clause and supremacy

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

Congress tried to ban guns near schools using the Commerce Clause, but the Court said that was a stretch. Limited federal power and gave some back to the states.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

A public school made kids say a prayer, and the Court said that violates the Establishment Clause. You can’t mix state/religion.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

The Amish said school after 8th grade went against their faith—and the Court agreed. Religious freedom beats state education laws.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam war and got suspended. The Court ruled students don’t lose their 1st Amendment rights at the school gate.

New York Times Co. v. U.S. (1971)

The government tried to stop the press from publishing classified Vietnam info. The Court said prior restraint is almost always a no-go—free press wins.

Schenck v. U.S. (1919)

A man handed out anti-draft flyers and was arrested. The Court said speech isn’t protected if it creates a ‘clear and present danger.’

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Gideon had no lawyer and lost in court—then the Supreme Court stepped in. They ruled the right to an attorney applies to the states too.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

North Carolina drew a super weird, squiggly district just to pack in Black voters. The Court said racial gerrymandering violates the Equal Protection Clause.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Can money = free speech in elections? The Court said yes—corporations can spend unlimited money on political messaging.

Plessy v Fergson (1896)

A man sat in the ‘wrong’ train car & challenged segregation. The Court said ‘separate but equal’ was fine—setting up decades of Jim Crow laws

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Segregated schools? The Court said separate is not equal. This case ended legal school segregation and kicked off the civil rights era