SCOTUS Cases (Heimler)

SCOTUS Cases Overview

Vocabulary

SCOTUS Cases & Core Concepts

• Federalism:

  • McCulloch v. Maryland expanded federal power and upheld federal supremacy through the interpretation of the supremacy clause.

  • U.S. v. Lopez limited federal power, emphasizing state authority by ruling that Congress overstepped its constitutional authority regulating guns in state schools via the Commerce Clause.

  • U.S. v. Lopez is about the balance of power between the federal and state governments, not just about guns or schools.

  • The case examined whether Congress exceeded its constitutional authority by using the Commerce Clause to regulate an activity (possession of firearms in school zones) that was not directly related to interstate commerce.

• Power of Government v. Individual:

  • Schenck v. U.S. and Tinker v. Des Moines:

    • Both address freedom of speech and the balance between government power and individual liberty.

    • Schenck allowed the government to restrict speech posing a “clear and present danger” to national security.

    • Tinker protected students’ right to express themselves unless it caused substantial disruption or violated the rights of others.

• Wisconsin v. Yoder and Engel v. Vitale:

  • Address religious freedom and the balance between government power and individual liberty.

  • Wisconsin v. Yoder upheld the rights of Amish parents to withdraw their children from public school for religious reasons, protecting the free exercise of religion (Free Exercise Clause).

  • Engel v. Vitale prohibited schools from compelling students to engage in prayer, safeguarding the separation of church and state and respecting individual religious autonomy (Establishment Clause).

• Speech:

  • Schenck v. US

  • Tinker v. Des Moines

• Civil Rights:

  • Brown v Board of Education

• Selective Incorporation:

  • Gideon v. Wainwright

  • McDonald v. Chicago

• Campaign Finance

  • Citizens United v FEC

• Equality in Voting:

  • Baker v Carr

  • Shaw v Reno

• Judicial Review

  • Marbury v Madison

• Press:

  • NYT v US

• Religion:

  • Engle v Vitale

  • Wisconsin v Yoder

Constitutional Considerations

• When identifying pieces of the Constitution, remember to specify the clauses rather than just the amendments.

NYT v. U.S.

• Upholds the freedom of the press; restricts government’s power of prior restraint.

• Involved the New York Times publishing classified documents exposing government deception about the Vietnam War, despite President Nixon’s attempt to stop it.

• Emphasized the importance of a free press in holding the government accountable and maintaining transparency in a democratic society.

Selective Incorporation

• The process by which the Supreme Court extends the protections of the Bill of Rights to the states using the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

• Important for SCOTUS Comparison questions, where you identify a constitutional clause that is similar in two different cases.

Gideon v. Wainwright & McDonald v. Chicago

• Gideon v. Wainwright incorporated the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel, requiring states to provide legal representation to indigent defendants.

• McDonald v. Chicago incorporated the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, prohibiting state and local governments from infringing on individuals’ gun ownership rights.

Baker v. Carr & Shaw v. Reno

• Baker v. Carr established the “one person, one vote” principle, requiring voting districts to be redrawn based on current population.

• Shaw v. Reno ruled that gerrymandered districts based solely on race were unconstitutional, emphasizing the need to avoid racial considerations in redistricting.

• Both cases aimed to uphold the concept of equality in voting by ensuring every citizen’s vote carries equal weight.

Brown v. Board of Education

• Used the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause to declare racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, marking a significant step towards racial equality.

• The case had far-reaching implications beyond education, impacting civil rights issues such as voting rights, segregation in public facilities, and race-based jury selection.

• It served as a catalyst for subsequent efforts to address racial discrimination and promote equality in various aspects of American society.

Citizens United v. FEC

• Established that corporations have the same First Amendment rights as individual citizens, including freedom of speech.

• Ruled that government restrictions on corporate spending to support political campaigns are unconstitutional since money is considered a form of protected speech.

• Contributed to the expansion of corporate influence in political campaigns and the overall landscape of campaign financing.

Judicial Review

• The power of the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, to review and determine the constitutionality of legislative and executive actions.

• Allows the court to examine laws, regulations, and governmental actions to ensure they are consistent with the provisions of the Constitution.

Marbury v. Madison

• Established the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review.

• Judicial review serves as the court’s most potent tool to check the power of the other branches of government, allowing it to declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional.

• This landmark case exemplifies the system of checks and balances by demonstrating the judiciary’s role in reviewing and restraining the actions of the executive and legislative branches to ensure adherence to the Constitution.