AP Government SCOTUS Cases

A set that includes the 15 required SCOTUS cases for the AP Exam. Each case is assessed for the following six pieces of information: 1.) the year of the decision, as well as the chief justice of the court; 2.) the main question or debate involved in the case; 3.) a brief summary of the case's origin; 4.) the decision; 5.) relevant constitutional sections, articles, amendments, and/or clauses; 6.) how the decision majorly changed U.S. government. All cases have six flashcards which question and answer these six categories of information. Having 15 cases, this means 90 total flashcards. However, cases that are heavily related to one another earn a shared 7th flashcard: 7.) which piece of critical information (namely constitutional clauses) link two particular cases. This final prompt will link some, not all, cases to another. This is not a complete set of similarities to be drawn between all of the cases, it's merely just to group some cases into similar constitutional topics. There are 5 sets of mutually linked cases, meaning that there are, in total, 95 flashcards. (Set Credit to CameronO-115 on Quizlet)

Marbury v. Madison was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1803, Marshall

Marbury v. Madison (1803) was a case mostly concerned with…

the Supreme Court's powers, including: 1.) if the Court had the authority to issue a writ a mandamus in this scenario, and more importantly, 2.) the Court's ability to use judicial review.

A brief summary of Marbury v. Madison (1803)…

After John Adams lost reelection in 1800, during his time as a "lame duck" he successfully nominated dozens of new Federal Court judges under the Judiciary Act of 1789. However, his Secretary of State didn't have time to issue all of the commissions, and the new administration's Secretary of State (James Madison) did not bother to complete the job, leading to several to-be judges (including William Marbury himself) to sue Madison.

The decision of Marbury v. Madison (1803) was in favor of…

Marbury (unanimous; opinion by Marshall).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Marbury v. Madison (1803):

the 'Supremacy Clause' of Section VI, Section 2 of Article III

The decision of Marbury v. Madison (1803) majorly changed the government by…

establishing the court's capability to perform judicial review (declaring a law unconstitutional). The Court used the Supremacy Clause of Section VI to establish the Constitution's supremacy, and Section 2 of Article III to establish the Court's own power of judiciary review.

McCulloch v. Maryland was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1819, Marshall

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) was a case mostly concerned with…

enumerated vs. implied powers of the U.S. government, specifically: 1.) if Congress can establish federal banks as an implied Constitutional power, and 2.) whether state law has to adhere to implied powers just the same as enumerated ones, since they are, well, merely implied.

A brief summary of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)…

After Congress chartered The Second Bank of the United States in 1816, Maryland attempted to tax this federal bank in an attempt to drive it out of the state. James McCulloch, a cashier at the bank, refused to pay the tax, leading to a court case.

The decision of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) was in favor of…

McCulloch (unanimous; opinion by Marshall).

Relevant constitutional clauses in McCulloch v. Maryland:

the 'Necessary and Proper' clause of Article I, Section 8, and the 'Supremacy Clause' of Section VI, Section 2.

The decision of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) majorly changed the government by…

1.) establishing the existence of implied powers, i.e. anything which is "appropriate and legitimate" (Marshall) to facilitate the carrying out of enumerated powers, and 2.) clarifying that implied powers, being an extension of what is enumerated in the Constitution, are also affected by the 'Supremacy Clause' of Section VI, Section 2, and therefore, 3.) state law cannot override enumerated nor implied constitutional powers.

Schenck v. United States was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1919, White

Schenck v. United States (1919) was a case mostly concerned with…

the limits of the liberties offered by the 'Free Speech' clause of the First Amendment, specifically under a wartime government.

A brief summary of Schenck v. United States (1919)…

Charles Schenck, a socialist, spread leaflets in 1917 speaking against the U.S. Military's wartime draft, claiming that the draft violated the thirteenth amendment (the amendment outlawing slavery & indentured servitude). When charged with conspiracy under the Espionage Act of 1917, Schenk retorted, claiming that he was protected by the rights enumerated in the First Amendment's 'Free Speech' clause.

The decision of Schenck v. United States (1919) was in favor of…

the United States (unanimous; opinion by Holmes).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Schenck v. United States (1919):

the 'Free Speech' clause of the First Amendment (the Thirteenth Amendment was used in the plaintiff's argument, but did not imply the decision).

The decision of Schenck v. United States majorly changed the government by…

further establishing limits of the liberties offered by the First Amendment's 'Free Speech' clause, as well as first introducing the idea of a "clear and present danger" test to evaluate whether speech is protected. In his majority decision, Holmes rationalized that Schenck's actions were similar to shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theatre (e.g., causing panic), which is not protected by the First Amendment.

Brown v. Board of Education was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1954, Warren

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was a case mostly concerned with…

the segregation of public schools, specifically: 1.) is the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) a sufficient justification for racial segregation roughly 60 years later, and 2.) does the act of racial segregation in schools violate the 'Equal Protection' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

A brief summary of Brown v. Board of Education (1954)…

Several cases in several states arose concerning racial segregation in schools, specifically the fact that African American children were denied admission to particular schools under law. Plaintiffs of these cases argued that this segregation was unconstitutional under the 'Equal Protection' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, while lower courts upheld the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

The decision of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was in favor of…

Brown et al. (unanimous; opinion by Warren).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Brown v. Board of Education (1954):

the 'Equal Protection' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The decision of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) majorly changed the government by…

overriding the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine. Instead, Warren explained in his opinion that the "separate but equal" doctrine is inherently unequal, and that racial segregation in schools is unconstitutional.

Baker v. Carr was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1962, Warren

Baker v. Carr (1962) was a case mostly concerned with…

legislative reapportionment, specifically: 1.) whether or not the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over questions of legislative reapportionment, and 2.) whether or not improper legislative reapportionment is an issue relevant to the Fourteenth Amendment.

A brief summary of Baker v. Carr (1962)…

Charles Baker and other Tennessee citizens alleged that a 1901 law made to reapportion the state's General Assembly was nearly ignored, while the reapportionment itself ignored vast economic growth and shifting in population that had occurred. The plaintiffs drew attention to the Fourteenth Amendment's 'Equal Protection' clause in arguing their case.

The decision of Baker v. Carr (1962) was in favor of…

Baker (6-2, opinion by Brennan).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Baker v. Carr (1962):

the 'Equal Protection' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The decision of Baker v. Carr (1962) majorly changed the government by…

clarifying that the Court has the ability to create jurisdiction regarding legislative reapportionment, an issue that is typically thought of as a "political question". In his majority opinion, Brennan concluded that this issue's concerns over the 'Equal Protection' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment warranted judicial evaluation.

Engel v. Vitale was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1962, Warren

Engel v. Vitale (1962) was a case mostly concerned with…

the place of religion in public schooling; specifically, implementation of the 'Establishment' clause of the First Amendment in public schools.

A brief summary of Engel v. Vitale (1962)…

The New York State Board of Regents authorized a brief, voluntary prayer to start each day in public schools, a notion that was challenged by several organizations as being unconstitutional under the 'Establishment' clause of the First Amendment. The New York Court of Appeals rejected this argument.

The decision of Engle v. Vitale (1962) was in favor of…

Engel, et al. (6-1, opinion by Black).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Engel v. Vitale (1962):

the First Amendment's 'Establishment' clause.

The decision of Engel v. Vitale (1962) majorly changed the government by…

establishing further precedent for the implementation of the First Amendment's 'Establishment' clause in public schools.

Gideon v. Wainwright was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1963, Warren

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) was a case mostly concerned with…

the right of defendants to an attorney, specifically: 1.) under the Sixth Amendment's 'Assistance of Counsel' clause, 2.) application of this right to felony defendants in state courts, and 3.) how the 'Privileges or Immunities' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment plays into the above points.

A brief summary of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)…

Clarence Earl Gideon was charged with a felony in Florida State Court, and upon arrival to the court, was denied the court's appointment of an attorney under Florida state law. After losing the case in which he represented himself, he had his habeas corpus relief denied by the Florida Supreme Court.

The decision of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) was in favor of…

Gideon (unanimous; opinion by Black).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963):

the 'Assistance of Counsel' clause of the Sixth Amendment, and its validity in state courts as established by the 'Privileges or Immunities' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The decision of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) majorly changed the government by…

furthering implementation of the Bill of Rights in the state governments through means of the Fourteenth Amendment's 'Privileges or Immunities' clause, specifically the rights established in the Sixth Amendments 'Assistance of Counsel' clause.

Tinker v. Des Moines was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1969, Warren

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) was a case mostly concerned with…

the implementation of the First Amendment's 'Free Speech' clause in public schools, specifically regarding the protection of symbolic speech.

A brief summary of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)…

In December 1965, students of schools in Des Moines were subject to disciplinary action due to wearing black armbands that peaceably advocated for truce in the Vietnam War. The student's suit against their school alleging a violation of their First Amendment protection for symbolic speech failed in all lower courts.

The decision of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) was in favor of…

Tinker (7-2; opinion by Fortas).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Tinker v. Des Moines (1969):

the 'Free Speech' clause of the First Amendment.

The decision of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) majorly changed the government by…

setting further precedent for the implementation of First Amendment rights in public schools, arguing that while students aren't subject to the Constitution's full civil protections while in school, they aren't completely stripped of their rights upon entering school grounds; as long as the speech doesn't cause tangible disruption to the school, it is protected.

New York Times v. US was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1971, Burger

New York Times v. US (1971) was a case mostly concerned with…

the government's power to use prior restraint.

A brief summary of New York Times v. US (1971)…

Nixon and his administration attempted to use prior restraint to censor publishers like the New York Times and the Washington Post in order to prevent classified Defense Department research on U.S. events in Vietnam from reaching the public eye. Nixon argued that the publication of this information would endanger national security.

The decision of New York Times v. US (1971) was in favor of…

New York Times Company (6-3, per curiam opinion).

Relevant constitutional clauses in New York Times v. US (1971):

the 'Freedom of Press' clause in the First Amendment

The decision of New York Times v. US (1971) majorly changed the government by…

establishing new precedent for implementation of the 'Freedom of Press' clause, with the decision favoring this liberty.

Wisconsin v. Yoder was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1972, Burger

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) was a case mostly concerned with…

whether or not state law setting public school attendance quotas takes precedence over the First Amendment's 'Free Exercise' clause when religious ideals conflict with aforementioned state law.

A brief summary of Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)…

Jonas Yoder & Wallace Miller, members of the Old Order Amish religion, were prosecuted under Wisconsin state law for taking their children out of school at an earlier age than the state allowed due to the attendance of high school being in conflict with their religious beliefs.

The decision of Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) was in favor of…

Yoder (unanimous; opinion by Burger).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972):

the 'Free Exercise' clause of the First Amendment.

The decision of Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) majorly changed the government by…

establishing further precedent for the implementation of the First Amendment's 'Free Exercise' clause in public schools.

Roe v. Wade was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1973, Burger

Roe v. Wade (1973) was a case mostly concerned with…

whether or not the Constitution recognizes a woman's right to abortion.

A brief summary of Roe v. Wade (1973)…

Jane Roe (a fictional title) challenged Henry Wade, her district attorney of Dallas County, Texas, over a Texas law that outlawed abortion in all cases but those where the mother's health is endangered.

The decision of Roe v. Wade (1973) was in favor of…

Roe (7-2, opinion by Blackmun)

Relevant constitutional clauses in Roe v. Wade (1973):

the 'Due Process' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The decision of Roe v. Wade (1973) majorly changed the government by…

establishing: 1.) guidelines on how abortion laws are to be properly made, based on weighing "the potentiality of human life" against the protection of the woman's health throughout various trimesters of the pregnancy, as well as 2.) precedent on abortion being a issue that is firmly constitutional under the "right to privacy" protection of the 'Due Process' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, thus allowing jurisdiction for abortion cases.

Shaw v. Reno was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1993, Rehnquist

Shaw v. Reno (1993) was a case mostly concerned with…

gerrymandering, specifically: 1.) whether or not North Carolina's reapportionment plan was racially gerrymandered, and 2.) whether or not this could raise a valid constitutional issue under the Fourteenth Amendment's 'Equal Protection' clause.

A brief summary of Shaw v. Reno (1993)…

After a North Carolina congressional reapportionment plan was rejected for only having one district that was likely to procure a black representative, the second draft of this reapportionment plan, while containing two black-majority districts, was challenged by North Carolina residents to be unfairly gerrymandered for the sole purpose of procuring more African-American representatives. This challenge failed in all lower courts, being shot down because the courts ruled that there was no issue of constitutionality.

The decision of Shaw v. Reno (1993) was in favor of…

Shaw (5-4, opinion by O'Conner).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Shaw v. Reno (1993):

the Fourteenth Amendment's 'Equal Protection' clause.

The decision of Shaw v. Reno (1993) majorly changed the government by…

establishing that 1.) while the reapportionment plan may have had good intentions, it exceeded reasonability to achieve that goal, and would have to be reassessed for the existence of "compelling governmental interest" (Oyez), and 2.) that this issue was, in fact, validly constitutional, thus setting new precedent for similar cases in the future.

United States v. Lopez was decided in the year of by the __ court.

1995, Rehnquist

United States v. Lopez (1995) was a case mostly concerned with…

whether or not the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 is unconstitutional because it exceeds Congress' power to legislate under the 'Commerce' Clause of Article I, Section 8.

A brief summary of United States v. Lopez (1995)…

Alfonso Lopez carried a concealed firearm onto school property, and his state criminal charges were dropped so that he could instead be charged federally under the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. While he didn't dispute having carried a weapon onto school grounds, his attorney challenged the constitutionality of the aforementioned federal law, claiming that the United States' claim that the law was valid under the 'Commerce' clause is not true.

The decision of United States v. Lopez (1995) was in favor of…

Lopez (5-4, opinion by Rehnquist).

Relevant constitutional clauses in United States v. Lopez (1995):

while the 'Commerce' clause of Article I, Section 8 was used in the United States' main argument, the decision that the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was exceeding Congressional power as enumerated in the constitution leaves the power to create laws on this issue to the states, which is a state power enumerated by the Tenth Amendment.

The decision of United States v. Lopez (1995) majorly changed the government by…

using the power of judicial review to declare a law of Congress unconstitutional, thus leaving the enforcement of Lopez's criminal action solely to the laws of state and local governments.

Citizens United v. FEC was decided in the year of by the __ court.

2010, Roberts

Citizens United v. FEC (2010) was a case mostly concerned with…

many things: 1.) the constitutionality of the BCRA's restrictions on "electioneering communications", particularly 2.) the First Amendment's 'Free Speech' clause and how it interacts with "political speech" versus "campaign speech", 3.) whether or not a communication lacking a clear urge to vote for a particular candidate is subject to the BCRA's regulation, and finally, 4.) whether or not a feature length documentary can be examined under the same lens as the advertisements of concern to the precedent case, McConnel v. FEC (2003).

A brief summary of Citizens United v. FEC (2010)…

Citizens United sought an injunction after having published a film titled "Hillary: The Movie", which violated restrictions established by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). Citizens United argued that the BCRA was attempting to restrict them with regulations that violated their 'Free Speech' First Amendment rights, despite the fact that a past case (McCulloch v. FEC) had established the very same regulations as constitutional. The argument brought forth by Citizens United was shot down in its entirety in the US District Courts.

The decision of Citizens United v. FEC (2010) was in favor of…

both parties won in separate decisions: 1.) the rights of the First Amendment's 'Free Speech' clause were upheld, even if the speaker has a corporate identity (5-4 for Citizens United; opinion by Kennedy), and 2.) the BCRA's restrictions on Citizens United's film "Hillary" were not in violation of the Constitution (5-4 for FEC; opinion by Kennedy).

Relevant constitutional clauses in Citizens United v. FEC (2010):

the First Amendment's 'Free Speech' clause.

The decision of Citizens United v. FEC (2010) majorly changed the government by…

creating precedent with which to navigate the complex issue of what speech is protected through factors such as bipartisanism, corporate influence, "big money" campaign contributors, all in the midst of an election: 1.) that the free speech of individuals with corporate affiliation is protected, and 2.) that the BCRA still has the ability to restrict bipartisan advertising during the time of an election.

McDonald v. Chicago was decided in the year of by the __ court.

2010, Roberts

McDonald v. Chicago (2010) was a case mostly concerned with…

whether or not the Second Amendment is applicable to the states; if so, then state laws regarding guns would be constitutional; if not, then only Congress would be able to make laws about guns.

A brief summary of McDonald v. Chicago (2010)…

Chicago was challenged for their gun bans based on precedent from District of Columbia v. Heller (2008): the plaintiffs (including McDonald) argued that the Fourteenth Amendment's 'Due Process' clause should incorporate the rights of the Second Amendment to all states.

The decision of McDonald v. Chicago (2010) was in favor of…

McDonald et al. (5-4, opinion by Alito)

Relevant constitutional clauses in McDonald v. Chicago (2010):

the 'Due Process' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which implemented the Second Amendment rights into the states.

The decision of McDonald v. Chicago (2010) majorly changed the government by…

establishing a new precedent for the complex issue of of the right to keep and bear arms in self defense; in particular, incorporating this right to the states under the 'Due Process' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The cases Marbury v. Madison (1803) and McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) are linked by their mutual relevance to…

the 'Supremacy' clause of Article VI.

The cases Schenck v. United States (1919), Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), and Citizens United v. FEC (2010) are linked by their mutual relevance to…

the 'Free Speech' clause of the First Amendment.

The cases Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Baker v. Carr (1962), and Shaw v. Reno (1993) are linked by their mutual relevance to…

the 'Equal Protection' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

The cases Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) are linked by their mutual relevance to…

the two religion-based clauses of the First Amendment: specifically, Engel v. Vitale concerns the 'Establishment' clause, while Wisconsin v. Yoder concerns the 'Free Exercise' clause.

The cases Roe v. Wade (1973) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010) are linked by their mutual relevance to…

the 'Due Process' clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.