Supreme Court Cases

AP U.S. Government and Politics Supreme Court Cases Flashcards

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Background: In the final days of John Adams’ presidency, he appointed William Marbury as a justice of the peace. The commission wasn't delivered before Thomas Jefferson took office. Jefferson’s Secretary of State, James Madison, refused to deliver it. Marbury petitioned the Supreme Court to compel delivery via a writ of mandamus.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: Article III of the Constitution; Judiciary Act of 1789.
  
  

• Decision: Unanimously, the Court ruled that while Marbury was entitled to his commission, the Judiciary Act of 1789 (which gave the Court the power to issue writs of mandamus) was unconstitutional.
  
  

• Impact: Established the doctrine of judicial review, allowing the Court to strike down laws it deems unconstitutional — a foundational principle in American constitutional law.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

• Background: Congress established the Second Bank of the United States. Maryland passed a law taxing the bank. James McCulloch, the bank's cashier, refused to pay. The state sued him.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: Necessary and Proper Clause (Article I, Section 8); Supremacy Clause (Article VI).
  
  

• Decision: The Court ruled that Congress has implied powers to create a national bank and that Maryland could not tax it because “the power to tax involves the power to destroy.”
  
  

Impact: Strengthened federal power, upheld implied powers doctrine, and confirmed that federal law is superior to state law.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

• Background: Charles Schenck distributed leaflets urging resistance to the draft during WWI. He was charged with violating the Espionage Act. He argued this was a violation of his First Amendment rights.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: First Amendment – Free Speech Clause.
  
  

• Decision: The Court upheld his conviction, saying speech that creates a “clear and present danger” is not protected under the First Amendment.
  
  

• Impact: Allowed restrictions on speech during wartime and introduced the "clear and present danger" test, although later cases (e.g., Brandenburg v. Ohio) refined this standard.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Background: Black children were denied access to whites-only schools. Families challenged the constitutionality of school segregation.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: 14th Amendment – Equal Protection Clause.
  
  

• Decision: Unanimous decision that “separate but equal” is inherently unequal in public education and therefore unconstitutional.
  
  

Impact: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896); launched the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation of public schools.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

• Background: Tennessee hadn’t redistricted since 1901 despite major population shifts. Charles Baker argued that this diluted urban votes.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: 14th Amendment – Equal Protection Clause; Article III – Judicial power.
  
  

• Decision: The Court ruled that redistricting issues are justiciable (can be decided in court), establishing a precedent for intervention.
  
  

• Impact: Led to the "one person, one vote" standard in future redistricting cases (Reynolds v. Sims); expanded judicial involvement in political matters.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

• Background: New York public schools encouraged a short, voluntary prayer each morning. Parents objected on religious grounds.
  

• Constitutional Principle: First Amendment – Establishment Clause.
  

• Decision: The Court ruled that state-sponsored prayer in public schools, even if non-denominational and voluntary, violated the Establishment Clause.
  

• Impact: Set precedent for removing religious activities from public institutions; key case in the separation of church and state.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Background: Clarence Gideon was denied a court-appointed lawyer in Florida for a felony trial. He represented himself and lost.
  

• Constitutional Principle: 6th Amendment – Right to counsel; 14th Amendment – Due Process Clause (selective incorporation).
  

• Decision: The Court ruled states must provide attorneys to defendants who cannot afford one in criminal cases.
  

• Impact: Expanded the rights of the accused and applied the right to counsel to state trials via incorporation.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

• Background: Students wore black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. The school suspended them.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: First Amendment – Free Speech Clause.
  
  

• Decision: The Court ruled students have First Amendment rights in school. The protest didn’t cause disruption, so it was protected.
  
  

• Impact: Affirmed student free speech rights in public schools, particularly symbolic speech

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

• Background: The Nixon administration attempted to prevent newspapers from publishing the Pentagon Papers (classified Vietnam War documents).
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: First Amendment – Freedom of the press.
  
  

• Decision: The Court ruled the government could not exercise prior restraint unless publication caused a direct threat to national security.
  
  

• Impact: Strengthened press freedom and limited the government’s power to censor.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

• Background: Amish families refused to send their children to public high school, citing religious beliefs. Wisconsin prosecuted them under compulsory attendance laws.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: First Amendment – Free Exercise Clause.
  
  

• Decision: The Court ruled religious liberty outweighed the state interest in compulsory education past 8th grade.
  
  

• Impact: Expanded religious exemption from laws and strengthened free exercise protections.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

• Background: North Carolina created a bizarrely shaped congressional district to elect Black representatives. White voters sued, claiming racial gerrymandering.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: 14th Amendment – Equal Protection Clause.
  
  

• Decision: The Court ruled that redistricting based predominantly on race is presumptively unconstitutional.
  
  

• Impact: Restricted racial gerrymandering, ensuring districts must comply with equal protection standards.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

• Background: A high school student was charged with violating the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act. His lawyers argued Congress had overstepped its Commerce Clause powers.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: Article I – Commerce Clause.
  
  

• Decision: The Court struck down the law, ruling that carrying a gun in a school zone is not an economic activity that affects interstate commerce.
  
  

• Impact: Marked a shift toward limiting federal power; emphasized the importance of state sovereignty.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

• Background: Otis McDonald sued Chicago for its handgun ban, arguing it violated his Second Amendment rights.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: 2nd Amendment; 14th Amendment – Due Process Clause (selective incorporation).
  
  

• Decision: The Court ruled the 2nd Amendment applies to state and local governments through incorporation.
  
  

• Impact: Extended gun rights; clarified that fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights also apply to states.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

• Background: Citizens United challenged federal laws limiting corporate funding of independent political broadcasts, arguing it violated free speech.
  
  

• Constitutional Principle: First Amendment – Free Speech Clause.
  
  

• Decision: The Court ruled that corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on political speech, as long as it's independent of campaigns.
  
  

• Impact: Opened the door to Super PACs and unlimited election spending by outside groups; dramatically altered campaign finance.