AP Government & Politics Ch.4 Key Cases

Question 0

Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Answer 0

The 1925 Supreme Court decision holding that freedoms of press & speech are “fundamental personal rights & liberties protected by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment from impairment by the states,” as we’ll as by the federal government.

Question 1

Barron v. Baltimore (1833)

Answer 1

The 1833 Supreme Court decision that the Bill of Rights restrained only the national government, not the states & cities.

Question 2

Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)

Answer 2

The 1971 Supreme Court decision that established that aid to church-related schools must (1) have a secular legislative purpose (2) have a primary effect that neither advances nor inhibits religion; (3) and not foster excessive government entanglement with religion

Question 3

Zelman v. Simmons Harris (2002)

Answer 3

The 2002 Supreme Court decision that upheld a state providing families with vouchers that could be used to pay for tuition at religious schools.

Question 4

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Answer 4

The 1962 Supreme Court decision holding that state officials violated the 1st Amendment when they wrote a prayer to be recited by New York’s school children.

Question 5

School District of Abington Township, Pennsylvania v. Schempp (1963)

Answer 5

A 1963 Supreme Court decision holding that a Pennsylvanian law requiring Bible reading in schools violated the establishment clause of the 1st Amendment.

Question 6

Near v. Minnesota (1931)

Answer 6

The 1931 Supreme Court decision holding that the 1st Amendment protects newspaper from prior restraint.

Question 7

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Answer 7

A 1919 decision holding the conviction of a socialist who had urged young men to resist the draft during WWI.

Question 8

Zurcher v. Stanford Daily (1978)

Answer 8

A 1978 Supreme Court decision holding that a proper search warrant could be applied to a newspaper as well as to anyone else without necessarily violating the 1st Amendment rights to freedom of press.

Question 9

Roth v. United States (1957)

Answer 9

A 1957 Supreme Court decision ruling that obscenity is not within the area of constitutionality protected speech or press.

Question 10

Miller v. California (1973)

Answer 10

A 1973 Supreme Court decision that avoided defining obscenity by holding that community standards be used to determine whether material is obscene in terms of appealing to a “prurient interest” & being “patently offensive” & lacking in value.

Question 11

New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)

Answer 11

Decided in 1964, this case established the guidelines for determining whether public officials & public figures could win damage suits for libel. To do so individuals must prove that the defamatory statements were made with “actual malice” & reckless disregard for the truth.

Question 12

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Answer 12

A 1989 case in which the Supreme Court struck down a law banning the burning of the American flag on the grounds that such action was symbolic speech protected by the 1st Amendment.

Question 13

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo (1974)

Answer 13

A 1974 case in which the Supreme Court held that a state could not force a newspaper to print replies from candidates it had criticized, illustrating the limited power of government to restrict the print media.

Question 14

Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. Federal Communications Commission (1969)

Answer 14

A 1969 case in which the Supreme Court upheld restrictions on radio & televisions broadcasting. These restrictions on the broadcast media are much tighter than those on the print media because there are only a limited # of broadcasting frequencies available.

Question 15

NAACP v. Alabama (1958)

Answer 15

The Supreme Court protected the right to assemble peaceably in this 1958 case when it decided the NAACP did not have to reveal its membership list & thus subject it’s members to harassment.

Question 16

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Answer 16

The 1961 Supreme Court decision ruling that the 4th Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches & seizures must be extended to the states as well as to the federal government.

Question 17

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Answer 17

The 1966 Supreme Court decision that sets guidelines for police questioning of accused persons to protect them against self incrimination and to protect their right to counsel.

Question 18

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Answer 18

The 1963 Supreme Court decision holding that anyone accused of a felony where imprisonment may be imposed, however poor he or she might be, has a right to a lawyer.

Question 19

Gregg v. Georgia (1976)

Answer 19

The 1976 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty, stating, “It is an extreme sanction, suitable to the most extreme of crimes”. The court did not believe that the death penalty constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 20

McCleskey v. Kemp (1987)

Answer 20

The 1987 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty against charges that it violated the 14th Amendment because minority defendants were more likely to receive the death penalty than were white defendants.

Question 21

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Answer 21

The 1973 Supreme Court decision holding that a state ban on all abortions was unconstitutional. The decision forbade state control over abortions during the 1st trimester of pregnancy, permitted states to limit abortions to protect the mother’s health in the 2nd trimester, & permitted states to protect the fetus during the 3rd trimester.

Question 22

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)

Answer 22

The 1992 case in which the Supreme Court loosened its standard for evaluating restrictions on abortion from one of “strict scrutiny” of any restraints on a “fundamental right” to one of “undone burden” that permits considerably more regulation.