AP Government Supreme Court Cases and Foundational Documents Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing key Supreme Court cases and foundational documents in AP Government.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Established judicial review (the Supreme Court’s power to declare laws unconstitutional).

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Federal government has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause; states can’t tax federal institutions.

Schenck v. the United States (1919)

Speech creating a 'clear and present danger' (like wartime dissent) is not protected by the First Amendment.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional (overturned Plessy v. Ferguson).

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

State-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Courts can intervene in redistricting cases ('one person, one vote').

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

The Sixth Amendment guarantees free legal counsel to indigent defendants in state courts.

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

Students retain First Amendment rights at school unless they cause 'substantial disruption'.

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

Prior restraint violates the First Amendment unless there’s an imminent national security threat.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Compulsory education laws can’t override sincere religious beliefs under the Free Exercise Clause.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Racial gerrymandering without compelling justification violates the Fourteenth Amendment.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act overstepped Congress’s Commerce Clause power, as guns didn’t affect interstate commerce.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

The Second Amendment applies to states via the Fourteenth Amendment (incorporation doctrine).

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Corporations/unions can spend unlimited money on elections as 'free speech' (dark money explosion).

Declaration of Independence (1776)

The formal statement declaring the 13 American colonies' independence from British rule, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson.

Articles of Confederation (1781)

The first constitution of the United States, establishing a weak central government with most power retained by the states.

Constitution (1787) incl. Bill of Rights (1791)

The supreme law of the U.S., replacing the Articles of Confederation, with the Bill of Rights as its first 10 amendments.

Brutus I (1787)

Warned that the Constitution would lead to tyranny by granting too much power to the federal government (e.g., Necessary and Proper Clause, supremacy clause) and that a large republic couldn’t represent citizens' interests.

Federalist 10 (1787)

Addresses the danger of factions (interest groups) and argues a large republic would mitigate their effects by diluting power and encouraging compromise.

Federalist 51 (1787)

Proposes that dividing government into three branches and giving each the means to check the others prevents tyranny ('Ambition must be made to counteract ambition').

Federalist 70 (1787)

Argues a single president ensures accountability, energy, and efficiency in government, unlike a weak or plural executive.

Federalist 78 (1787)

Describes judicial review (courts can strike down unconstitutional laws) and asserts lifetime tenure for judges ensures independence from political pressure.

Letter From a Birmingham Jail (1963)

Martin Luther King Jr.’s open letter defending nonviolent civil disobedience against segregation. Responds to white clergy criticizing protests, arguing injustice must be confronted directly ('Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere') and distinguishes just vs. unjust laws.