AP Gov Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

judicial review

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

necessary and proper clause, and supremacy clause

Schenck v. United States (1919)

1st Amendment (speech)

 Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

equal protection clause (14th amendment) (civil rights), overturns Plessy v Ferguson which overturns separate but equal

 Baker v. Carr (1961)

one person, one vote

 Engel v. Vitale (1962)

1st Amendment, establishment clause(government can not establish an official religion), separation of church and state

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

6th amendment, right to counsel

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

1st Amendment (speech), symbolic speech

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

prior restraint (the government can not censor the press)

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

1st Amendment, free exercise clause (religion)

Roe v. Wade (1973)

due process, medical privacy, 14th Amendment

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

14th Amendment, voting rights, gerrymandering, drawing districts cannot be on race

United States v. Lopez (1995)

federalism, commerce clause

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

1st Amendment, free speech, corporations have it, money=speech, corporations=individuals

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

2nd Amendment, 14th Amendment (everyone having the right everywhere)

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health (2022)

10th Amendment, overturns Roe v Wade

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

COMMERCE CLAUSE; EXPAND FEDERAL AUTHORITY Established federal authority over interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause, reinforcing that Congress, not states, regulates interstate trade. Broadened federal power and asserted federal supremacy in commercial regulation.

Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918)

COMMERCE CLAUSE; LIMITS FEDERAL AUTHORITY (STATE POWER) Limited federal power under the Commerce Clause by striking down a law prohibiting child labor. Upheld states' rights to regulate labor.

Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964)

COMMERCE CLAUSE; EXPAND FEDERAL AUTHORITY Upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964, allowing Congress to prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations under the Commerce Clause, as such practices affected interstate commerce.

South Dakota v. Dole (1987)

ESTABLISHED CONGRESSIONAL POWER FOR FEDERAL GRANTS; EXPAND FEDERAL AUTHORITY Affirmed Congress’s power to condition federal grants to states, such as withholding highway funds to enforce a drinking age of 21. Established guidelines for conditional grants, provided they are related to the purpose and not coercive.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

COMMERCE CLAUSE; LIMITS FEDERAL AUTHORITY (STATE POWER) Limited Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause by striking down the Gun-Free School Zones Act. Emphasized states' rights and marked a shift toward narrowing the scope of federal regulatory power.

Printz v. United States (1997)

10TH AMENDMENT; LIMITS FEDERAL AUTHORITY (STATE POWER) Struck down parts of the Brady Handgun Act, ruling that the federal government cannot compel state officials to enforce federal laws. Reinforced state autonomy and federalism principles under the Tenth Amendment.

United States v. Morrison (2000)

COMMERCE CLAUSE; LIMITS FEDERAL AUTHORITY (STATE POWER) Struck down parts of the Violence Against Women Act, ruling that gender-motivated crimes do not substantially affect interstate commerce. Reaffirmed limits on federal power and emphasized states' roles in criminal law enforcement.

Gonzales v. Oregon (2005)

COMMERCE CLAUSE; LIMITS FEDERAL AUTHORITY (STATE POWER) Upheld Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act, reinforcing state autonomy in regulating medical practices. The federal Controlled Substances Act could not override state laws on assisted suicide.

Gonzales v. Raich (2005)

COMMERCE CLAUSE; EXPAND FEDERAL AUTHORITY Upheld federal authority to prohibit homegrown marijuana under the Commerce Clause, even for medical use allowed by state law. Highlighted federal supremacy over state laws in matters affecting interstate commerce.