Landmark Cases

Question 1

Abortion: Roe v Wade (1973)

Answer 1

• The court announced in Roe v Wade in a 7-2 decision that the Fourteenth Amendment right of ‘liberty’ included the right of a woman to decide whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.

Question 2

First Amendment: Citizens United v Federal Election Commission (2010)

Answer 2

• The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that when it comes to rights of political speech, business corporations and labour unions have the same rights as individuals, a decision which overturned federal laws and court decisions going back to 1947.

Question 3

First Amendment: McCutcheon v Federal Election Commission (2014)

Answer 3

• The court struck down a 1970s limit on the total amount of money wealthy donors can contribute to candidates and political committees

Question 4

Second Amendment: District of Columbia v Heller (2008)

Answer 4

• The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that a law passed by the District of Columbia in 1976 banning the ownership of handguns and requiring that shotguns and rifles be kept unloaded and either disassembled or with the trigger locked was unconstitutional.

Question 5

Second Amendment: McDonald v City of Chicago (2010)

Answer 5

• The court declared in a 5-4 decision that the second amendment gives to Americans a fundamental right to bear arms and that the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment means that this right cannot be infringed by state or local governments

Question 6

Eighth Amendment: Roper v Simmons (2005)

Answer 6

• The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that it is unconstitutional to sentence anyone to death for a crime he or she committed when younger than 18

Question 7

Eighth Amendment: Atkins v Virginia (2002)

Answer 7

• The court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the execution of mentally retarded criminals infringed the eighth amendment, but it did not state what constituted mental retardation.

Question 8

Fourteenth Amendment: Obergefell v Hodges (2015)

Answer 8

• The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that state bans to prohibit same-sex marriage were a violation of the Fourteenth amendment.

Question 9

Congress’s power: National Federation of Independent Business v Sebelius (2012)

Answer 9

• The court ruled in a 5-4 decision to uphold most of the provisions on Obamacare.
• Democrats have consistently argued that the provisions of the Act were constitutional because of the powers granted to Congress by the commerce clause.

Question 10

State power: United States v Arizona (2012)

Answer 10

• The court in a 5-3 decision struck down three provisions of an Arizona immigration law because they encroached on areas of congressional authority to regulate immigration.
• Here, the court is protecting the powers of Congress and keeping the powers of individual states in check.

Question 11

First amendment: Snyder v Phelps (2011)

Answer 11

• The court in a 8-1 decision held that the first amendment shields those who stage a protest at the funereal of a military service member from liability.
• The protestors were from Westboro Baptist Church, protesting against the deceased soldier being gay