AP Gov Supreme Court Cases

McCulloch v. Maryland (decision)

(1) The national bank is allowed because it falls under the category of implied powers, which are allowed by the necessary and proper clause; (2) states like Maryland cannot tax the national bank because national laws overrule state laws (supremacy clause)

United States v. Lopez (decision)

struck down the gun free school zones act because Congress had no constitutional authority to pass the law; guns in school are not economic activities that affect interstate commerce

Baker v. Carr (decision)

The supreme court has jurisdiction over cases of legislative redistricting; malapportionment is unconstitutional because it is a violation of the "one person, one vote" principle

Shaw v. Reno (decision)

Congressional districts cannot be drawn solely along racial lines to help or hinder the number of minority representatives a state sends to the House of Reps.

Citizens United v. FEC (decision)

The First Amendment's free speech clause protects the rights of corporations, unions, and other interesr groups to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence the outcome of an election; upheld disclosure requirements and contribution limits by individuals and PACs

New York Times v. United States (decision)

Bolstered freedom of the press by banning prior restraint (censorship) unless there is a "clear and present danger" (imminent threat to national security)

Marbury v. Madison (decision)

the Supreme Court established the power of judicial review, a power not specifically mentioned in the constitution

Engel v. Vitale (decision)

School sponsorship of religious activities (ex. prayer) violates the Establishment Clause of the first amendment

Wisconsin v. Yoder (decision)

Compelling amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violate the Free Exercise Clause of the first amendment

Tinker v. Des Moines (decision)

Public school students have the right to wear black armbands in school to protest the Vietnam War because the first amendment protects symbolic speech

Schenck v. United States (decision)

Speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the first amendment

McDonald v. Chicago (decision)

The Second Amendment provided an individual right to bear arms; applies to the states along with the national government

Gideon v. Wainwright (decision)

State governments (along with the national government) must provide counsel [attorney] to poor defendants

Brown v. Board of Education (decision)

Race based school segregation violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment

McCulloch v. Maryland - background

Congress created a national bank but it was unclear if they had that power. Maryland taxed it for the purpose of killing the bank.

United States v. Lopez - background

Based on its authority to regulate interstate commerce, Congress passed a law to ban guns from schools.

Baker v. Carr - background

Many states had not redrawn the lines of their legislative districts (redistricting) for many decades even though cities had grown much larger. This resulted in the over representation of rural areas in state legislatures and Congress.

Shaw v. Reno - background

North Carolina used gerrymandering that separated voters for the purpose of securing an additional Congressional District that was majority black.

Citizens United v. FEC - background

Citizens United wanted to play an ad for their movie, "Hillary." The ad would have appeared on tv in the days prior to Hillary Clinton's primary election against Barack Obama, so the FEC denied permission to play the ad. This was based on the McCain-Feingold Law (Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act) that banned ads by outside groups right before an election.

New York Times v. United States - background

The NY Times and Washington Post acquired secret documents (Pentagon Papers) that showed how the US Government was lying to the American People about its progress in the Vietnam War. President Nixon invoked "prior restraint" or censored the newspapers so they could not publish. Newspapers sued the president.

Marbury v. Madison - background

There was a dispute over Federalist judges receiving their nomination forms. A law allowed them to bring their lawsuit directly to the Supreme Court. Was this law constitutional?

Engel v. Vitale - background

Public schools in NY were starting their day with a short nonsectarian prayer. (It was not compulsory but it was a part of the school day.)

Wisconsin v. Yoder - background

Amish people in Wisconsin did not want their children to attend public school beyond 8th grade. Rather, they wanted to work on the farm and read the Bible. Wisconsin required they go to school until age 16.

Tinker v. Des Moines - background

High School students in Iowa wore black arm bands to protest the war in Vietnam. They were suspended by their principal.

Schenck v. United States - background

During WWI, a socialist distributed leaflets that claimed the military draft violated the 13th Amendment. He encouraged men to ignore the draft, which violated the Espionage Act so he was arrested. He claimed his freedom of speech was violated.

McDonald v. Chicago - background

Chicago passed a law against owning handguns to prevent violence. City residents sued, claiming they wanted to own handguns for home defense.

Gideon v. Wainwright - background

Clarence Earl Gideon was sentenced to prison in a trial where he did not have a lawyer. He asked for one because he was poor, but Florida did now allow for this.

Brown v. Board of Education - background

Schools were segregated under the principal of "Separate but equal" which was established in the case, "Plessy v. Ferguson."

Marbury v. Madison - clause

Article III & Judiciary Act of 1789

McCulloch v. Maryland - clause

necessary and proper clause and supremacy clause

Schenck v. United States - clause

First Amendment Free Speech & Espionage Act

Brown v. Board of Education - clause

Equal Protection Clause & Plessy v. Ferguson precedent

Baker v. Carr - clause

14th Amendment - Equal protection clause

Engel v. Vitale - clause

1st Amendment Establishment Clause

Gideon v. Wainwright - clause

6th amendment - right to counsel & due process clause

Tinker v. Des Moines - clause

1st Amendment, freedom of speech
Substantial disruption

NY Times v. US - clause

First Amendment - freedom of the press

Wisconsin v. Yoder - clause

1st Amendment Free Exercise Clause

Shaw v. Reno - clause

14th amendment equal protection clause & 15th amendment - right to vote

US v. Lopez - clause

Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8)

Citizens United v. FEC - clause

1st Amendment- Free Speech & Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BRCA)

McDonald v. City of Chicago

2nd Amendment