AP Gov Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

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

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Established implied congressional powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause and affirmed federal supremacy over state governments.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

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

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Ruled that speech creating a clear and present danger could be restricted; upheld limits on anti-draft speech during wartime.

Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969)

Protected students’ symbolic speech, ruling that public schools cannot restrict expression unless it substantially disrupts school operations.

New York Times v. United States (1971)

Ruled that the government could not block publication of the Pentagon Papers without sufficient justification, strengthening freedom of the press.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Ruled that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Ruled that federal courts could hear legislative redistricting cases, helping establish the principle of “one person, one vote.”

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Ruled that state-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Ruled that states must provide attorneys to criminal defendants who cannot afford one in serious criminal cases.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Ruled that forcing Amish students to attend school beyond eighth grade violated their religious freedom under the First Amendment.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Recognized a constitutional right to abortion under the right to privacy; overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022).

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Ruled that racial gerrymandering in congressional districts could violate the Equal Protection Clause if race was the predominant factor without sufficient justification.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Incorporated the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms against state and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Ruled that the government cannot restrict independent political expenditures by corporations and unions, protecting them under the First Amendment.