AP Gov Supreme Court Cases and Concepts

Marbury V. Madison (1803)

Established Judicial review

Made the Supreme Court a co-equal branch

John Adams appointed Marbury a judge but he did not receive his commission before Jefferson took office, 4-0 Madison won

Affirmed the Court's power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional (court doesn't have power to force delivery of the commission)

Judiciary Act conflicted with the Constitution

Remember: Mar-Burried Madison’s commission

McCulloch V. Maryland (1819)

Maryland taxed a national bank, can States tax Federal institutions? No, Federal law is supreme.

Schenck V. United States (1919)

Schenck distributed anti-draft leaflets during WW1, is this protected free speech? No, speech that creates “clear and present danger is not protected.

Remember: Schenck = Sneak away from draft

Brown V. Board of Education

Segregated schools violate equal protection and are unconstitutional

Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson

Remember Brown and white people are Equal

Baker V. Carr (1962)

Courts can hear redistricting cases and the Equal Protection Clause applies.

Established “one person, one vote” and made redistricting justiciable

Remember travel in a Carr through equal districts

Engel V. Vitale (1962)

Does school-sponsored prayer in public schools violate the Establishment Clause? Yes, the government can not promote religion.

Reinforced separation of church and state

Remember Engel = Angel; school prayer.

Gideon V. Wainwright (1963)

Gideon was denied a lawyer in a felony case, but States are required to provide attorneys.

6th amendment

Remember Gid-e-on = Give-me-one (lawyer)

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Students wore armbands protesting Vietnam War, is student’s symbolic speech protected? Yes, protect symbolic speech in schools.

Remember Tinker = childlike, child right;

New York Times v. United States (1971)

Government tried to stop publication of Pentagon Papers, can the government use prior restraint? No, strengthened freedom of the press

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Amish parents refused to send kids to school past 8th grade, is this okay? Yes, religious beliefs outweigh state interest

Remember: Yoder = Yodel = Amish, Amish are religious and have this right.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Is racial gerrymandering illegal? Yes, race can’t be the sole factor in redistricting

Remember: Shaw = minority race, Reno = majority race; Shaw= 4 and Reno= 4, both must be equal and not based on race

United States v. Lopez (1995)

GunPossession in school zones was made a federal crime, does this exceed the Commerce Clause? Yes, firearm possession does not interfere with interstate commerce

Remember: Lopez = Illegal activity

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Chicago banned handguns, does the 2nd amendment apply to the states? Yes, 2nd amendment applies to everyone

McDonald = Farmer = Country = Guns, Chicago is not country = no guns

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Corporations and unions CAN spend money on elections under first amendment

Spending money on policies = free speech

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Articles of Confederation (1781)

First Constitution, bad

U.S. Constitution (1787)

Federalist 10 (James Madison)

Factions are bad

Federalist 51 (James Madison)

Checks and balances protects liberty

Federalist 70 (Alexander Hamilton)

Single energetic executive president, not a group of people

Federalist 78 (Alexander Hamilton

Independent Judiciary, they are the weakest branch and need lifetime appointments

Brutus No 1.

Argued against Constitution, gives the government too much power

Letter From Birmingham Jail

Nonviolent action against segregation, wait = never

Article 1, 2, 3

Set up branches of government

Article 4, 5, 6, 7

Explain how the government will work together.