Landmark Supreme Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

  • Concept: Judicial Review; Article III.
  • Background: William Marbury sued for a judgeship appointment that was not delivered by Jefferson's administration.
  • Ruling: 4–0 against Marbury.
  • Significance:
    • Established judicial review.
    • The Supreme Court has the power to declare laws unconstitutional.
    • Gave the judiciary equal power with the other branches.
    • Reinforced checks and balances.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

  • Concept: Necessary and Proper Clause; Supremacy Clause.
  • Background: Maryland taxed the national bank, and the bank refused to pay.
  • Ruling: Unanimous for McCulloch.
  • Significance:
    • Confirmed federal supremacy over state laws.
    • Upheld the federal government’s right to create a national bank, even if the Constitution doesn't explicitly state that power.
    • Strengthened federal authority.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

  • Concept: First Amendment—Free Speech.
  • Background: Schenck was arrested for distributing anti-draft leaflets during WWI.
  • Ruling: Unanimous against Schenck.
  • Significance:
    • Created the “clear and present danger” test.
    • Allowed limits on free speech when it poses an immediate threat to national security.
    • Showed that rights can be restricted during wartime.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

  • Concept: 14th Amendment—Equal Protection Clause.
  • Background: Challenged segregation in public schools.
  • Ruling: 9–0 to end segregation.
  • Significance:
    • Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, declaring “separate but equal” unconstitutional in education.
    • Marked the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement.
    • Legally ended racial segregation in schools.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

  • Concept: 14th Amendment—Equal Representation.
  • Background: Tennessee failed to redraw voting districts despite population shifts.
  • Ruling: Court could decide redistricting cases.
  • Significance:
    • Established “one person, one vote”, ensuring equal representation.
    • Allowed courts to intervene in political questions like redistricting, increasing judicial power.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

  • Concept: First Amendment—Establishment Clause.
  • Background: NY schools led students in a voluntary prayer.
  • Ruling: 6–1 against the school.
  • Significance: Outlawed state-sponsored prayer in public schools, reinforcing separation of church and state and protecting religious freedom.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

  • Concept: 6th Amendment—Right to Legal Counsel.
  • Background: Gideon was denied a court-appointed lawyer.
  • Ruling: Unanimous for Gideon.
  • Significance: Guaranteed that states must provide free legal counsel to defendants in criminal cases who can’t afford one, expanding fair trial rights.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

  • Concept: First Amendment—Student Free Speech.
  • Background: Students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War and were suspended.
  • Ruling: 7–2 for the students.
  • Significance:
    • Protected student speech in schools as long as it doesn't cause disruption.
    • Set precedent for students’ constitutional rights.

New York Times v. United States (1971)

  • Concept: First Amendment—Freedom of the Press.
  • Background: Government tried to block publication of the Pentagon Papers.
  • Ruling: Court ruled for NYT.
  • Significance:
    • Reinforced a strong protection of press freedom by rejecting prior restraint.
    • Government can't censor press unless it poses a direct national security threat.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

  • Concept: First Amendment—Free Exercise of Religion.
  • Background: Amish families refused to send kids to school past 8th grade.
  • Ruling: Unanimous for Yoder.
  • Significance: Strengthened religious freedom by ruling that personal religious beliefs outweighed the state’s interest in compulsory education.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

  • Concept: 14th Amendment—Equal Protection Clause.
  • Background: North Carolina created a strangely shaped majority-black district.
  • Ruling: 5–4 against Reno.
  • Significance:
    • Racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional.
    • While race can be a factor in redistricting, it cannot be the dominant factor.
    • Set limits on how race can be used in political districting.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

  • Concept: Commerce Clause.
  • Background: Student brought a gun to school; charged under federal law.
  • Ruling: 5–4 for Lopez.
  • Significance: Limited federal power under the Commerce Clause for the first time in decades. Asserted that not everything can be considered “commerce” and reinforced state powers.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

  • Concept: 2nd Amendment; Incorporation via 14th Amendment.
  • Background: Challenged Chicago's handgun ban.
  • Ruling: 5–4 for McDonald.
  • Significance:
    • Applied the 2nd Amendment to the states.
    • Protected an individual’s right to bear arms from state infringement.
    • Used the doctrine of incorporation.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

  • Concept: First Amendment—Free Speech.
  • Background: Corporate spending on political campaigns was limited by BCRA.
  • Ruling: 5–4 for Citizens United.
  • Significance:
    • Allowed unlimited independent political spending by corporations and unions.
    • Equated money with speech, leading to the rise of Super PACs and reshaping campaign finance.