38 Court Cases

AP United States Government

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, striking down school-sponsored prayer.

Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)

Established the "Lemon Test" to determine if laws violate the Establishment Clause by excessively entangling government with religion.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Compulsory education laws cannot force Amish children to attend school beyond 8th grade, upholding religious freedom under the First Amendment.

Schenck v. US (1919)

Speech creating a "clear and present danger," such as during wartime, is not protected by the First Amendment.

West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)

Forcing students to salute the flag violates the First Amendment's Free Speech Clause.

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community Schools (1969)

Students retain First Amendment rights at school, as long as their speech does not disrupt the educational process.

Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)

Speech advocating illegal activity is protected unless it incites imminent lawless action, clarifying the limits of the First Amendment.

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Flag burning constitutes protected symbolic speech under the First Amendment.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Political spending by corporations and unions is protected speech under the First Amendment, leading to the rise of super PACs.

New York Times v. US (1971)

The government cannot exercise prior restraint to stop the publication of classified information unless it causes direct harm to national security.

Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Incorporated the First Amendment to the states, allowing limits on speech that incites violence or endangers public safety.

Korematsu v. US (1944)

Upheld Japanese internment during World War II, setting a precedent for strict scrutiny of racial classifications.

US v. Nixon (1974)

The president is not above the law, limiting executive privilege during criminal investigations.

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

Limits on individual contributions to campaigns are constitutional, but personal spending by candidates is protected under the First Amendment.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Congress has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause, and states cannot tax federal institutions.

US v. Lopez (1995)

Congress exceeded its authority under the Commerce Clause by passing the Gun-Free School Zones Act, limiting federal power.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.

Bush v. Gore (2000)

Halted the Florida recount, effectively deciding the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

Declared African Americans were not citizens and Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories, fueling tensions before the Civil War.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Incorporated the Second Amendment to the states, striking down Chicago's handgun ban.

DC v. Heller (2008)

The Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for lawful purposes, such as self-defense in the home.

New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)

Schools may conduct searches of students with reasonable suspicion, balancing privacy rights and school safety.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Incorporated the exclusionary rule to state courts, barring illegally obtained evidence from trial under the Fourth Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Guaranteed the right to an attorney for criminal defendants in state courts who cannot afford one.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Established the Miranda rights, requiring police to inform suspects of their rights to silence and an attorney during custodial interrogations.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Upheld "separate but equal" segregation, which was later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education.

Brown v. Board of Education I (1954)

Declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Brown v. Board of Education II (1955)

Ordered public schools to desegregate "with all deliberate speed."

Heart of Atlanta Motel v. US (1964)

Upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964, preventing racial discrimination in public accommodations affecting interstate commerce.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

Struck down racial quotas in college admissions but allowed race to be one factor among others.

Lawrence v. Texas (2003)

Struck down laws criminalizing same-sex intimacy, upholding the right to privacy under the Due Process Clause.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, ruling it is protected under the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses.

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

Established a constitutional right to privacy, striking down laws banning contraceptive use by married couples.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Established a woman's right to choose an abortion under the right to privacy, later overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)

Reaffirmed Roe but allowed states to impose restrictions on abortion that do not create an undue burden.

Dobbs v. Jackson (2022)

Overturned Roe v. Wade, returning the regulation of abortion to the states.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Established the principle of "one person, one vote," allowing federal courts to review legislative apportionment.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Prohibited racial gerrymandering, holding that race-based districting must meet strict scrutiny standards.