ap gov scotus cases

marbury v madison

established judicial review (the right of the Supreme Court to be the final interpreter of Constitutional questions), representing the Supreme Court’s most potent tool to check the power of the other branches of government. talk about: the power of the three branches of government to check each other/balances

citizens united vs fec

the government cannot limit the money that corporations spend to support political campaigns because money is a form of protected speech. the court essentially ruled that corporations have the same first amendment protections as individual citizens
talk about: first amendment/freedom of speech, campaign finance

brown v board of education

constitutionality of racial segregation in schools and had larger implications for issues like voting rights, segregation in public facilities, race-based jury selection, etc. overturned doctrine in Plessy v Ferguson (which allowed separate but equal)
talk about: 14th amendment’s equal protection clause to abolish race-based segregation in schools, civil rights

baker v carr

court required Tennessee to redraw their voting districts in a way that reflected the current population, which established the “one person, one vote” principle
talk about: equal protection clause of the 14th amendment, congressional redistricting, equality in voting

Shaw v reno

court ruled again that gerrymandered congressional districts were unconstitutional if they were drawn only based on race
talk about: congressional redistricting, equal protection clause of 14th amendment, equality in voting

gideon v wainwright

talk about: selective incorporation/14th amendment
court incorporated 6th amendment’s provision for a lawyer to the accused down to the states

McDonald v Chicago

talk about: 14th amendment’s due process clause, selective incorporation (applying the Bill of Rights to the states)
court required states to uphold their citizen’s second amendment rights- their right to own guns.

NYT v. US

talk about: prior restraint/first amendment’s freedom of press/balancing power between government and individual
court ruled that NYT had the right to publish sensitive documents exposing federal deception about the Vietnam war, upholding individual liberties. president Nixon tried shutting it down with prior restraint, but the court said this wasn’t possible

wisconsin v yoder

upheld the right of Amish parents to remove their children from public schools for religious reasons
talk about: free exercise clause, against government regulation of religion

engel v vitale

talk about: against government regulation of religion/establishment clause
court ruled it violated this clause if schools compelled students to pray at the beginning of class

schenck v us

court ruled that the government’s silencing of speech was okay because Schenck’s pamphlet about avoiding the military draft for WWI created a clear and present danger
talk about: court balancing government power with individual liberties/freedom of speech

tinker v des moines

court ruled that government couldn’t silence speech, specifically, students wearing black armbands to school in protest of the Vietnam war
talk about: court balancing government power with individual liberties/freedom of speech

us v lopez

court ruled that the states should have more power because Congress had overstepped its authority by using the commerce clause to regulate guns in state schools. it’s not a guns or schools case- it’s about federalism/the balance of power between federal and state governments
talk about: whether it is constitutional for Congress to use the commerce clause to make schools, which are under state authority, ban guns

mculloch v maryland

court ruled that the federal government should have more power
talk about: supremacy clause of the constitution