important AP US gov and Pol court cases chapter 1, 2, 3, & 8

Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens  summary

June 1990, the supreme court rule in favor of having religious extracurricular clubs in schools, stating that High schoolers are mature enough to hold such a club and understand that schools cannot endorse such a club.

Marbury v. Madison 1808 summary

a landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, the power of the federal courts to declare a law unconstitutional. The case involved William Marbury, who sued James Madison (the Secretary of State) for failing to deliver his commission as a justice of the peace.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) summary

the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Bank of the United States was constitutional and that states could not tax it. The decision established the principle of implied powers under the "necessary and proper" clause, allowing Congress to create the bank as a means to carry out its enumerated powers. Furthermore, the ruling upheld the Supremacy Clause by stating that federal laws are supreme to state laws, and states cannot interfere with federal institutions. 

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) summary

a Supreme Court case that famously expounded upon the powers of the commerce clause, setting the precedent of Congress's broad ability to regulate interstate and some intrastate commerce. The case originated in a dispute over shipping monopolies in New York.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) summary

the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. The court declared that the "separate but equal" doctrine had no place in public education, as separate facilities were inherently unequal and violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

The Civil War summary

a conflict between the United States (the Union) and the Confederate States of America, which was formed by eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union. The main cause was the long-standing disagreement over the institution of slavery, particularly its expansion into new territories.

US v Lopez summary

the Supreme Court ruled that the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was unconstitutional because it exceeded Congress's power under the Commerce Clause. The Court held that the possession of a gun in a local school zone is not an economic activity that substantially affects interstate commerce.

Obergfell v Hodges summary

a landmark 2015 Supreme Court case that held the Fourteenth Amendment requires all states to license and recognize same-sex marriages.

Gonzalez v Raich summary

Gonzales v. Raich highlighted the conflict between federal authority and state sovereignty, as the Supreme Court ruled that federal laws prohibiting marijuana under the Commerce Clause could override state laws permitting medical marijuana use.

Barron v. Baltimore (1833) summary

the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Bill of Rights only restricts the federal government and does not apply to state governments. The Court held that while the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause requires the federal government to provide just compensation for private property taken for public use, it does not limit state or local governments.

Gitlow v US (1925) summary

the Supreme Court upheld a New York law punishing the advocacy of overthrowing the government, but it established the principle of incorporation. The ruling was a landmark decision that applied the First Amendment's freedom of speech and press to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) summary

the Supreme Court ruled that state aid to church-related schools was unconstitutional because it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The ruling established the "Lemon Test," which states that government assistance to religion is permissible only if it has a secular purpose, does not promote or inhibit religion, and avoids excessive entanglement between government and religion.

Board of Education v Allen (1968) summary

the Supreme Court upheld a New York law that provided public funds for secular textbooks to be lent to students in all schools, including private and religious ones. The court ruled that it did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The majority reasoned that the law's purpose was to enhance educational opportunities for all children, not to support religious institutions. 

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002) summary

the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Ohio's school voucher program for students in Cleveland was constitutional, finding it did not violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. The majority reasoned that the aid was directed to families, not religious institutions, and was part of a broader program designed to help students in failing public schools. 

Engle v. Vitale (1962) summary

the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory, school-sponsored prayer in public schools is unconstitutional, violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. New York law that authorized a nondenominational prayer to be recited at the start of the school day unconstitutional.

Kennedy v Bremerton (2022) summary

the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of a high school football coach who prayed at the 50-yard line after games, holding that his actions were protected by the First Amendment's Free Speech and Free Exercise clauses. The Court found that his prayer was a personal act and not an endorsement of religion by the government, and it effectively set aside the long-standing Lemon test in favor of an approach based on historical practices and the understanding of the Founding Fathers.

Pierce v Society of Sisters (1925) summary

the Supreme Court ruled that an Oregon law requiring all children aged 8 to 16 to attend public schools was unconstitutional. The Court held that the law unreasonably infringed on the liberty of parents to direct their children's upbringing and education. This decision, based on the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause, affirmed the idea that "the child is not the mere creature of the state"

Wisconsin v Yoder (1972) summary

the Supreme Court ruled that Amish parents were not required to send their children to school past the eighth grade, upholding their right to free exercise of religion under the First Amendment.

Employment Division v. Smith (1990) summary

the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Oregon could deny unemployment benefits to two men who were fired for using peyote in a religious ceremony. This decision established that a law is constitutional under the Free Exercise Clause if it is facially neutral and generally applied to all citizens, regardless of religious belief. 

Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993) summary

a federal law that protects a person's right to practice their religion from significant government burdens. RFRA was passed to overturn a 1990 Supreme Court ruling that had weakened protections for religious freedom by allowing the government to burden religious practices with a lower standard of justification. 

Reynolds v US (1887) summary

the Court unanimously upheld the conviction of George Reynolds for bigamy, ruling that the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause does not protect religious practices that violate general criminal laws. the decision created a distinction between religious belief and religious action, holding that the government cannot prohibit a religious belief.

Burwell v Hobby Lobby (2014) summary

The Court held that these corporations have religious rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and that the government's mandate was not the "least restrictive means" of achieving its compelling interest in women's health, as it forced owners to choose between their faith and facing penalties.

Cakeshop v Colorado (2018) summary

the Colorado Civil Rights Commission showed hostility toward his religious beliefs, which violated the First Amendment. The Court did not rule on whether businesses can refuse service for same-sex weddings but instead based its decision narrowly on the Commission's hostile comments towards religion during the proceedings.

Schenk v US (1919) summary

Charles Schenck was charged under the Espionage Act for mailing printed circulars urging men to avoid that draft. Writing for a unanimous Court, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes upheld Schenck's conviction and ruled that the Espionage Act did not conflict with the First Amendment.

Brandenburg v Ohio summary

the Supreme Court established that the government cannot prohibit the advocacy of illegal action unless it is directed at inciting or producing "imminent lawless action" and is "likely to incite or produce such action". The Court overturned his conviction, finding the Ohio law unconstitutional for being overly broad because it punished mere advocacy without considering whether it would lead to immediate violence. 

Near v. Minnesota (1931) summary

a landmark 1931 Supreme Court case that ruled prior restraint—the government's ability to censor or stop a publication before it is printed—is generally unconstitutional. Jay Near, a newspaper editor in Minnesota who was prevented from publishing articles that accused local officials of corruption.

New York v US summary

he Supreme Court ruled that the government could not block the publication of the Pentagon Papers in New York Times Co. v. United States. The Court affirmed the First Amendment's protection of the press by upholding the principle of prior restraint, which the government failed to justify on grounds of national security.

Tinker v Des Moines (1969) summary

the Supreme Court ruled that students can't be punished for expressing their views at school unless their speech substantially disrupts the educational environment.

Morse v Frederick (2007) summary

the Court ruled that public schools can restrict student speech that reasonably promotes illegal drug use, even if it occurs off-campus at a school-sanctioned event. The case involved a student, Joseph Frederick, who held a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus"

Texas v Johnson (1989) summary

the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that burning the American flag is a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) summary

established the "actual malice" standard for libel cases involving public officials. The case arose from a full-page advertisement in The New York Times that criticized the police department in Montgomery, Alabama, for its actions during the Civil Rights Movement.

United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group (2000) summary

restrictions to freedom of expression

Bethel v Frazier summary

ruled public schools can discipline students for lewd or indecent speech, even if it isn't obscene, because the First Amendment does not give students a right to make such speeches at a school-sponsored event. student Matthew Fraser gave a speech filled with sexual innuendos to nominate a fellow student for a position.

Miller v. California (1973) summary

he Supreme Court ruled that obscene materials are not protected by the First Amendment and established the "Miller test" to determine if material is obscene. The case, involving Marvin Miller's mass-mailing of sexually explicit advertisements, resulted in a new three-part test

1937: De Jonge v Oregon summary

the Supreme Court ruled that the right to peaceful assembly is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment and cannot be infringed upon by state governments. The case concerned Dirk De Jonge, who was convicted under Oregon's criminal syndicalism law for presiding over a peaceful Communist Party meeting.

NAACP v. Alabama (1958)

the Supreme Court case NAACP v. Alabama protected the right to freedom of association by ruling that Alabama could not force the NAACP to hand over its membership lists. The Court found that forcing disclosure would violate the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause, as it could expose members to harassment and retaliation and chill their First Amendment rights.