AP Gov Required/Practice Cases

Abbot v. Perez

(2018) - The court ruled that a lower court ruling ignored the "presumption of good faith" during redistricting and allowed a Texas redistricting map to remain in place.

Baker v. Carr

(1962) - The Court held that the issue of malapportionment of election districts raised a justifiable claim under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The effect of the case was to force the reappointment of nearly all federal, state, and local election districts nationwide (One man, one vote)

Brown v. BOE

(1954) - Supreme Court struck down the "separate but equal "doctrine as fundamentally unequal. This case eliminated state power to use race as a criterion of discrimination in law and provided the national government with the power to intervene by exercising strict regulatory policies against discriminatory actions.

Buckley v. Valeo

1976) - Multi-part ruling established that the government cannot restrict individual spending on campaigns because that is protected speech, however they may limit the amount of money individuals contribute to campaigns.

Barron v. Baltimore

(1833) - Established that the Bill of Rights does not apply to the states. Set up the system of dual citizenship.

Citizens United v. FEC

(2010) - The Court struck down a provision of the McCain-Feingold Act that prohibited all corporations, both for-profit and not-for-profit, and unions from broadcasting "electioneering communications"

Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire

(1942) - Established that freedom of speech does not extend to "fighting words" and are not a protected speech class.

Dobbs v. Jackson

(2022) - Established that Roe v. Wade was no longer the law of the land and abortion would be handed back to the states.

Engle v. Vitale

(1962) - Ruled that states may not create a voluntary prayer to be used at the beginning of school -violation of the Establishment Clause.

Gibbons v. Ogden

(1824) - An carly, major case establishing the supremacy of the national government in all matters afflicting interstate commerce, in which John Marshall broadly defined what Article 1, Section 8, meant by "commerce among the several states." He affirmed that the federal government alone could regulate trade, travel, and navigation between the states

Gideon v. Wainwright

(1963) - The Warren Court overruled an earlier case (Betts (1942)) and established that "any person hauled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for him." An incorporation case. (6" amendment right applied to states through 14th due process clause)

Gitlow v. NY

(1925) - Started the "selective incorporation" approach whereby the Supreme Court has selectively incorporated the Bill of Rights to the states, suing the 14th amendments due process clause-case involved first amendment rights of free speech and press

Griswold v. Connecticut

(1965) - The Court ruled that the right to privacy included the right to marital privacy and struck down state laws restricting married persons' use of contraceptives and the circulation of birth control information

Hazelwood SD v. Kuhlmeier

(1987) - School districts and principals may use prior restraint in regards to student published works if it is found to be educationally unsound.

McCulloch v. Maryland

(1819) - This was the first and most important case favoring national control of the economy over state control. In his ruling, John Marshall established the "implied powers" doctrine enabling Congress to use the "necessary and proper" clause of Article 1, Section 8, to interpret its delegated powers. This case also concluded that, when state law and federal law were in conflict, national law took precedence.

NYT v. U.S.

(1971) - The pentagon papers case - Court refuses to impose a prior restraint on the publication of the papers-even if publication would embarrass government, it would not endanger national security.

Ogberefell v. Hodges

(2015) - The court ruled that due to the 14th amendments equal protection clause state governments could no longer define marriage exclusively between a man and a woman and must offer gay marriage in all states.

Plessy v. Ferguson

(1896) - The Court, in the famous case, held that the Fourteenth Amendment's "equal protection of the laws" was not violated by racial discrimination as long as the "separate" facilities were "equal."

Printz v. U.S

(1997) - Established that local communities and police officers do not have to do background checks on handgun purchasers this pulled back on the interstate commerce clause.

Reynolds v. U.S.

(1878) - Held that religious duty was not an acceptable reason to violate the Anti-Bigamy Act.

Roe v. Wade

(1973) - This is the famous case that rendered unconstitutional all state laws making abortion a crime, ruling that the states could not interfere in a woman's "right to privacy" and, her right to choose to terminate a pregnancy.

Shaw v. Reno

(1993) - Held that redistricting based upon race must be held to a strict scrutiny standard using the equal protection clause. Outlawed racial gerrymandering (Bushmandering).

Schenck v. United States

(1919) - Establishes the "clear and present danger" test when applying to speech. Known as the "shouting fire in a crowded theater" ruling.

Shelby County v. Holder

(2013) - Struck down section 4 of the Voting Right Act, saying Congress needed to update the map.

Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard

(2023) - Effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions, ruling they violated the Equal Protection Clause.

Texas v. Johnson

(1989) -This case established that symbolic speech extended to burning the American flag

Tinker v. Des Moines

(1965) - the right to free speech includes symbolic speech--the arm bands case

U.S. v. Lopez

(1995) - 5/4 decision. Court struck down a federal law banning the possession of a weapon near school. This was the first limitation in almost 60 years on Congress's "interstate commerce" authority.

Lemon v. Kurtzman

(1971) - Created a three part test to determine if a law is in violation of establishment clause. A law must have "a secular legislative purpose", may not help or inhibit religion, or entangle the government in religion.

Mapp v. Ohio

(1961) - The Court held that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches and seizures would be excluded from trial (exclusionary rule)

Marbury v. Madison

(1803) - This was the landmark case in which Chief Justice Marshall established that the Court had the right to rule on the constitutionality of federal and state laws, although judicial review was not explicitly granted by the Constitution.

McDonald v. Chicago

(2010) - Most recent incorporation case which incorporated the right to bear arms in the constitution and overturned a city ordinance banning hand weapons

Wesberry v. Sanders

(1964) - Warren court ruled that the concepts in Baker must apply to federal house districts and therefore the populations of those districts must be relatively equal.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

(1972) - The court held under the free excrcise clause that the state cannot compel Amish students to attend public school beyond eight grade due to religious objections of the community.