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Civic Literacy Workshop Number Two Notes

Overview of Civic Literacy Workshop

  • Workshop Title: Civic Literacy Workshop Number Two

  • Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Biebergel, Associate Dean for Retention and Academic Support, Florida Atlantic University

  • Duration: Approximately one hour

Workshop Structure

  • Review of the civic literacy requirement.

  • Assessment of prior knowledge of landmark Supreme Court cases.

  • Presentation of 22 landmark Supreme Court cases relevant for civic literacy exam.

  • Opportunity for practice test.

  • Information on the final workshop and test sign-up.

Civic Literacy Requirement

  • Requirement applies to all Florida universities and colleges for obtaining an Associate of Arts or Bachelor’s degree.

  • Several avenues for fulfilling this requirement:

    • Course options: Government of the U.S. (POS 2041) or U.S. History Since 1877 (MH 2020)

    • Advanced Placement (AP) test scores

    • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam for U.S. Government ($100 fee)

    • Free civic literacy test through FAU Office for Testing and Evaluation.

      • 100 questions, minimum of 60 correct to pass.

      • Workshops designed to help pass this test.

      • Test conducted Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 2 PM, two-hour time limit.

      • Immediate score feedback provided.

Landmark Supreme Court Cases Review

  • Importance: Knowledge of these cases is critical for passing the civic literacy test.

  • Students encouraged to gauge their familiarity with cases presented.

  • PowerPoint and handouts available for note-taking.

General Concepts of Supreme Court Rulings

  • Supreme Court functions as one of three branches of government, ruling on cases in relation to the Constitution and its amendments.

  • Cases categorized by the amendments they pertain to, with case reviews following.

Case Overviews

1. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

  • Summary: Dred Scott, a slave, claimed his freedom after being in a free state.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled that he was not a citizen but property, thus unable to sue.

  • Significance: Nullified Missouri Compromise, asserting Congress cannot ban slavery.

2. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

  • Summary: Homer Plessy, one-eighth African American, challenged Louisiana's segregation laws after being denied entry to a white train car.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court upheld segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.

  • Significance: This case established the legality of racial segregation.

3. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

  • Summary: Linda Brown and her sister were denied access to a white school.

  • Outcome: The Supreme Court ruled that state-sanctioned segregation violated the Equal Protection Clause.

  • Significance: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, beginning desegregation of schools.

4. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

  • Summary: Alan Bakke denied admission to a medical school based on affirmative action policies.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled racial quotas in admissions were unconstitutional; race can be one of several factors.

  • Significance: Customized admissions better suited the diversity in education contexts.

5. Bush v. Gore (2000)

  • Summary: The Florida election recount raised issues over voting standards.

  • Outcome: The Supreme Court found the differing standards of counting votes violated the Equal Protection Clause.

  • Significance: This case decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election.

First Amendment Cases

6. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

  • Summary: A nonprofit corporation wanted to air a film critical of Hillary Clinton.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment.

  • Significance: Established corporations and unions can spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns.

7. Engel v. Vitale (1962)

  • Summary: Public schools in New York instituted a non-denominational school prayer.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled that government-directed prayer in schools violates the First Amendment.

8. West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)

  • Summary: Jehovah's Witnesses students were expelled for refusing to salute the flag.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled students can't be compelled to pledge allegiance due to First Amendment protections.

9. Texas v. Johnson (1989)

  • Summary: Johnson burned an American flag in protest.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled that flag burning constitutes symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

10. Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969)

  • Summary: Students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court upheld students' right to wear armbands as protected symbolic speech.

11. Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988)

  • Summary: School officials censored a student newspaper.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court sided with the school, allowing administrations to have editorial control under legitimate pedagogical interests.

Second Amendment Case

12. D.C. v. Heller (2008)

  • Summary: Challenges to the District of Columbia's gun ban.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects individual gun ownership rights without affiliation to service in a militia.

Fourth Amendment Cases

13. Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

  • Summary: Evidence retrieved from an illegal search warrant.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled evidence obtained unlawfully cannot be used in court.

14. New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)

  • Summary: A student's backpack was searched without a warrant.

  • Outcome: The Supreme Court ruled schools need only reasonable suspicion to conduct searches, less daunting than criminal standards.

Fifth and Sixth Amendment Cases

15. Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

  • Summary: Miranda was not informed of his rights during questioning.

  • Outcome: Here, the Supreme Court established requirements for police to inform suspects of their rights (Miranda Rights).

16. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

  • Summary: Gideon could not afford an attorney for his trial.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled that defendants have a right to an attorney, even if they cannot afford one, establishing public defender systems.

Additional Landmark Decisions

17. Roe v. Wade (1973)

  • Summary: Jane Roe challenged Texas laws restricting abortion.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled no state could prohibit first-trimester abortion.

18. Korematsu v. United States (1944)

  • Summary: Japanese Americans were interned during WWII.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court upheld internment as constitutional for national security.

19. Marbury v. Madison (1803)

  • Summary: Marbury’s commission delivery was denied, creating a significant precedent.

  • Outcome: Established the principle of judicial review, affirming the Constitution as supreme law.

20. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

  • Summary: Conflict between state and federal authority over interstate commerce.

  • Outcome: The Supreme Court established that the federal government has exclusive power over interstate commerce through the Commerce Clause.

21. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

  • Summary: Maryland taxed a federal bank.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court confirmed Congress’s implied powers and denied state control over federal entities.

22. U.S. v. Nixon (1974)

  • Summary: Nixon refused to disclose tapes related to Watergate scandal.

  • Outcome: Supreme Court ruled that no one, including the president, is above the law.

Preparing for the Civic Literacy Test

  • Practice Test: Attendees took a practice test based on the content discussed.

  • Study Tips:

    • Focus on defining case implications and memorizing amendments related to each.

    • Prepare to interpret cases and corresponding constitutional principles beyond multiple-choice format.

Conclusion

  • Next Steps: Review requirements and register for the civic literacy test through www.fau.edu/testing.

  • Reminder: Minimum passing score is 60. Options to retake available if needed.