Required Supreme Court Cases for AP U.S. Government

Vocabulary-style flashcards summarizing the key rulings and constitutional principles for the required AP U.S. Government Supreme Court cases.

Marbury V. Madison (1803)

Established the principle of judicial review, empowering the Supreme Court to declare an act of the legislative or executive branch unconstitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Established the supremacy of the U.S. Constitution and federal laws over state laws in a case concerning a national bank and state taxes.

Schenck V. United States (1919)

Held that speech creating a "clear and present danger" was not protected by the First Amendment and could be limited.

Brown V. Board Of Education (1954)

Ruled that race-based school segregation violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Baker V. Carr (1962)

Held that redistricting did not raise political questions, allowing federal courts to hear cases challenging redistricting plans under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Engel V. Vitale (1962)

Ruled that school sponsorship of religious activities violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Gideon V. Wainwright (1963)

Held that the Sixth Amendment's right to an attorney extends procedural due process protections to felony defendants in state courts.

Tinker V. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)

Ruled that a prohibition against students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War violated First Amendment freedom of speech protections.

New York Times Co. V. United States (1971)

Bolstered First Amendment freedom of the press by establishing a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" even in cases involving national security.

Wisconsin V. Yoder (1972)

Ruled that compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

Shaw V. Reno (1993)

Held that majority-minority districts created under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 may be constitutionally challenged under the Equal Protection Clause if race is the only factor used.

United States V. Lopez (1995)

Ruled that Congress exceeded its power under the Commerce Clause by making gun possession in a school zone a federal crime.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Held that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self-defense is applicable to the states.

Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Ruled that political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment.