A.P. Government Supreme Court Cases

Flashcards covering the essential facts, clauses, holdings, and precedents of the required AP Government Supreme Court cases.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Supreme Court case centering on the creation of The Second Bank of the United States where the Court ruled Congress can create a bank and states cannot tax federal banks, establishing federal supremacy.

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

Constitutional clause used in McCulloch v. Maryland to justify that Congress has implied powers not explicitly listed in the Constitution to fulfill its duties.

Supremacy Clause

Constitutional principle established in McCulloch v. Maryland asserting that the federal government is 'supreme' over the states.

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

Case where the Court ruled the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 unconstitutional because Congress failed to show the act was justified by the Commerce Clause.

Commerce Clause

The clause at issue in U.S. v. Lopez; the Court ruled it does not give Congress unlimited powers to regulate American life, specifically regarding guns in school zones.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Case ruling that school-endorsed voluntary prayer in New York schools violates the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment.

Establishment Clause

A 1st Amendment clause that prohibits official government entities, such as public schools, from endorsing prayer in any way.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Case where the Court ruled that Wisconsin’s compulsory attendance law violated the Amish family's right to free exercise of religion.

Free Exercise Clause

A 1st Amendment clause protecting the right of religious groups to act on their faith, which can lead to striking down state laws that deny this ability.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Case establishing that students' rights do not end 'at the schoolhouse gates' and that wearing armbands is protected symbolic speech as long as it causes no disruption.

Symbolic Speech

A form of protected speech identified in Tinker v. Des Moines, specifically referring to the wearing of armbands in protest of the Vietnam War.

New York Times v. U.S. (1971)

The 'Pentagon Papers' case where the Court ruled it was unconstitutional for the U.S. to stop publication of embarrassing materials regarding the Vietnam War.

Prior Restraint

The power of the government to stop the publication of materials; according to New York Times v. U.S., it is 'very, very difficult to justify.'

Schenck v. U.S. (1919)

Case involving a Socialist arrested for distributing anti-draft pamphlets, where the Court ruled the government can limit speech that creates a 'clear and present danger.'

Clear and Present Danger

A legal standard from Schenck v. U.S. stating that freedom of speech is not absolute and can be limited, especially in times of war, if the speech presents a specific threat.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Case where the Court used selective incorporation to rule that the 14th Amendment requires states to provide counsel to defendants who cannot afford one.

Selective Incorporation

The legal doctrine used in Gideon v. Wainwright and McDonald v. Chicago to make Bill of Rights protections applicable to the states via the 14th Amendment.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Case ruling that a woman's right to privacy, protected by the 14th Amendment against the states, extends to the right to have an abortion.

Right to Privacy

A right first established in Griswold v. Connecticut and later extended in Roe v. Wade to include the right to an abortion.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Case that incorporated the 2nd Amendment individual right to bear arms to state and local governments, ruling Chicago's handgun ban unconstitutional.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Case ruling that separating public schools based on race violates the Equal Protection Clause, stating 'separate but equal is unconstitutional.'

Equal Protection Clause

A 14th Amendment clause used in Brown v. Board of Ed, Baker v. Carr, and Shaw v. Reno to ensure individuals are treated equally under the law.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Case ruling that political spending by corporations and unions is protected speech, provided it is not coordinated with a campaign, leading to the creation of SuperPacs.

Baker v. Carr (1961)

The first case where the Court entered into redistricting controversies, establishing the 'one-person-one-vote' principle for urban and rural districts.

One-person-one-vote

The principle from Baker v. Carr ensuring that urban districts are represented proportionally equal to rural districts to allow every person's vote equal influence.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Case ruling that racial gerrymandering is illegal and that redistricting 'solely based on race' violates the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Landmark case that established the Supreme Court's power of judicial review, affirming the Court as a coequal branch of government.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional, or 'to say what the law is.'