AP Gov SCOTUS Cases

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Facts/Issues	Congress created a national bank Several states passed laws to tax the national bank
Holding (decision)	Congress MAY establish a national bank  States may NOT tax the national government
Constitutional Principle	Necessary and Proper Clause (Article 1, Section 8)  Congress has implied powers and is not limited by its expressed powers Supremacy Clause (Article 6) National government is superior to state governments when the two conflict

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

Facts/Issues	A student in Texas brought an unloaded gun to school and was charged with violating the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990
Holding (decision)	The law is unconstitutional because possession of a gun in a school zone does not substantially affect interstate commerce
Constitutional Principle	Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3)   Does not grant power in a federal system Tenth Amendment  Protects state power in a federal system

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Facts/Issues	Tennesee residents alleged that apportionment didn’t take into account population shifts, one person’s vote wasn’t necessarily equal to another person’s vote
Holding (decision)	Apportionment claims are justiciable in federal court  Led to “one person, one vote” principle
Constitutional Principle	Under the equal protection clause the appellants had a right to challenge unequal apportionment

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Facts/Issues	North Carolina created a very bizarrely shaped majority-minority district for the purpose of increasing black representation in Congress
Holding (decision)	Congressional districts cannot be drawn based only on race Upheld rights of the majority
Constitutional Principle	Drawing a congressional district based only on race violated the equal protection clause and opposes the colorblind ideal of the Constitution

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Facts/Issues	William M. petitioned the Supreme Court to compel Secretary of State James M. to deliver his commission
Holding (decision)	The Judiciary Act of 1789 conflicted with the Constitution and was therefore null and void Impact: established judicial review, the power to declare a law unconstitutional
Constitutional Principle	Congress can’t pass legislation that conflicts with the Constitution because the Supremacy Clause places the Constitution above laws

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Facts/Issues	Public schools in New York began school days by inviting students to recite a nondenominational prayer each morning  Issue: does reciting a nondenominational prayer in public schools violate the First Amendment’s establishment clause
Holding (decision)	States cannot hold prayers in public schools, even if participation is voluntary and the prayer isn’t tied to a specific religion
Constitutional Principle	Public school sponsorship of religious activities violates the First Amendment’s establishment clause (freedom of religion)

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Facts/Issues	For religious reasons, Amish families refused to send their children to high school, violating a Wisconsin law
Holding (decision)	Compelling Amish students to attend public school beyond 8th grade violates the free exercise clause
Constitutional Principle	Individuals’ interest in free exercise of religion outweighs the state’s interest in compelling school attendance beyond 8th grade

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Facts/Issues	Students were suspended for wearing black armbands as a symbol to protest the Vietnam War
Holding (decision)	The armbands represent pure speech and students have free speech rights at school
Constitutional Principle	First Amendment freedom of speech

Schenck v. US (1919)

Facts/Issues	A war protester was arrested for distributing leaflets opposing the military draft in violation of the Espionage Act
Holding (decision)	The Espionage Act did not violate the First Amendment and was an appropriate exercise of Congress’ wartime authority  Free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theatre and creating a panic (presents a clear and present danger)
Constitutional Principle	There may be time, place, and manner restrictions on the First Amendment’s free speech guarantee

New York Times v. US (1971)

Facts/Issues	The Nixon administration attempted to stop the publication of the Pentagon Papers
Holding (decision)	The government did not have the right to block publication of the Pentagon Papers  This case is viewed as a huge victory for freedom of the press
Constitutional Principle	Because of the First Amendment’s freedom of press, there is a heavy presumption against prior restraint

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Facts/Issues	The city of Chicago denied all licenses for handguns, effectively banning them
Holding (decision)	The 2nd Amendment’s right to bear arms for the purpose of self-defense applies to the states, striking down the Chicago policy
Constitutional Principle	Incorporates the 2nd Amendment’s individual right to bear arms through the 14th Amendment’s due process clause

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Facts/Issues	A Florida man was charged with a felony and requested that the state appoint an attorney for him. The state of Florida denied the request
Holding (decision)	States must provide attorneys for defendants who can’t afford one
Constitutional Principle	Incorporated the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of the right to counsel, applying it to defendants in state court

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Facts/Issues	Black students in several states were denied admittance to certain public schools based on race
Holding (decision)	Unanimously ruled of public schools allowed by “separate but equal” principle of Plessy v. Ferguson in unconstitutional
Constitutional Principle	Racially segregated public schools violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment

Citizens United v. F.E.C. (2010)

Facts/Issues	A law (BCRA) banned corporations and unions from making political ads within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary election
Holding (decision)	Corporations, unions, and interest groups can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for independent political expenditures
Constitutional Principle	Based on the First Amendment’s free speech clause, corporations, unions, and associations have the right to engage in political speech