Supreme Court Flashcards
What is significant about Marbury v Madison?
Gave the supreme court the power of judicial review
How many black supreme court members are there?
2
What is Dred Scott v Sandford (1857)
2nd time the supreme court ruled a federal law unconstitutional
Slaved man goes to state where slavery is illegal, tells scotus they said he has no rights as enslaved man
Led to civil war amendments
What are 2 other key early cases?
Fletcher v Peck
- Georgia Land dispute
- SC first ruled a state law unconstitutional
McCullough v Maryland
- Barred Maryland imposing tax on NB
Invoked the N&P clause to expand congressional power
How many justices on the supreme court?
9
How many female justices on the supreme court?
4
Whos court is it?
Roberts court
What are the 4 factors that ensure neutrality?
Life tenure
Equal pay
Separation of powers
Appointment process
What is the appointment process for a justice?
The president suggests a justice and then the senate scrutinises them and has the final say
Explain SFFA v Harvard
6-3 decisions to end race based admissions
Harvard broke equal protection clause in the 14th amendment
Asian Americans needing a higher SAT score compared to other race group applicants
What does star decisis refer to?
Follow precedent
What was the decision of Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
Overturned campaign finance restrictions, allowing unlimited corporate spending.
When did California ban affirmative action?
1996
What overtook fisher v texas and Grutter v Bollinger?
SFFA V Harvard
What 2 cases did SFFA v Harvard 2023 overtake?
Fisher v Texas 2016
Grutter v Bollinger 2003
What did Marbury v Madison 1803 really do?
Gave them ultimate power to overturn legislation
What was Biden v Nebraska 2023?
states challenged Bidens student loan forgiveness plan
Attempt to forgive up to £20,000
6-3 ruling against Biden
What is gerrymandering?
deliberately redrawing electoral district boundaries to give an unfair advantage to a particular political party or group
What is the issue with gerrymandering?
Forms unfair representation of the states
- Distorts election results
What is Campbell v Clinton 2000?
Whether Clinton violated the war powers resolution of 1973 (NATO Kosovo bombing without congress support)
- Cased dismissed
WPR hard to interpret
What did Trump want in Trump v Hawaii 2018?
An executive order travel ban on muslim major countries entering the US
What was the rulings on Trump v Hawaii 2018?
5-4 in favour of Trump due to the INA (Immigr and Nati Act)
What was the significance of Trump V Hawaii 2018? (2)
strengthened President authority over immigration and national security.
argued it legitimised discriminatory policies
What year was Obergefell v. Hodges?
2015
what did Obergefell v. Hodges 2015 do?
Legalised same-sex marriage under the 14th amendment
What did the ACA under Obama require most people to do?
buy health insurance or pay a penalty under the commerce clause
What was NFL v Sebelius about?
upheld most provisions of Obamacare while limiting some parts of it.
upheld provisions of the ACA/Obamacare while limiting some parts of it.
What was the significance of NFL v Sebelius? (4)
Limited congress commerce clause power
Expanded congress taxation power
Medicaid expansion became optional, resulting in unequal access to healthcare across states
ACA entrenched in healthcare reform
What did the court rule on NFL v Sebelius? (2)
Upheld ACA buy health insurance under tax powers rather the CC for congress
HOWEVER, made medicaid expansion only optional for states as before they said theyd remove funding if they didnt conply
When was Roe v Wade?
1973
What % of Black and Hispanic students could not read at 4th grade proficiency?
B - 84&
H - 80%
What is the standard deviation gap increase of B and W reading ages?
0.53 to 0.73
What year was Dobbs v Jackson?
2022
What year was the equal rights amendments?
1923
What year was the civil rights act?
1964
What did the WPA of 1973 do?
Require congress approval for military intervention
What was United Steelworkers v. Weber (1979)
Affirmative action case
A white worker sued over a company’s program that set aside training slots for minorities.
Court said it was legal because it aimed to fix racial imbalances in the workforce.
Focuses on workplace diversity and private company policies.
name 2 21st century cases that defended gay rights
Obergfell v Hodges 2012
(right to same sex marriage)
US v Windsor 2013
(federal recognition of SS marriage)
What did brown v board 1954 overturn
Plessy v Ferguson 1896
Name 3 post 2019 voting cases?
Rucho v common clause 2019
(GM issue beyond federal courts)
NAACP v North Carolina 2022
(Voter suppression GM to black voters went down to an issue for the lower courts)
Alexander v NAACP 2024
(SCOTUS found no racial GM in NC even though the lower courts did)
