Supreme Court Cases

Question 1

Marbury vs. Madison

Answer 1

created the power of judicial review

Question 2

McCulloch vs. Maryland

Answer 2

The federal government had the right to create a federal bank and states don’t have the power to tax the federal government

Question 3

Gibbons vs.Ogden

Answer 3

The federal government has the authority to regulate licenses of steamboats operating between New York and New Jersey

Question 4

Barron vs.Baltimore

Answer 4

deals with unemployment compensation, court said a law can be allowed to limit or burden a religious practice

Question 5

Gillette vs. United States

Answer 5

individuals claim the right to refuse to be a part of military service on the grounds of freedom religion

Question 6

Lemon vs. Kurtzman

Answer 6

created the lemon test for deciding whether a law or other government actions might promote religious practice should be allowed to stand

Question 7

Burrell vs. Hobby Lobby

Answer 7

businesses didn’t have to provide employees free access to emergency contraception or other birth control, if it would violate their religious beliefs

Question 8

Tinker vs. Des Moines

Answer 8

The supreme court ruled that school’s rule against armbands and the school suspension for wearing them violated the free speech right of students

Question 9

Cohen vs. California

Answer 9

Cohen was arrested for wearing a jacket containing an obscene anti draft slogan in the courthouse. His convention was overturned. The case provided the importance the court gave to freedom of expression issues.

Question 10

West Virginia Boe vs. Barnette

Answer 10

upheld the rights of Jehovah Witnesses to convert someone from one religion to another and to refuse to salute the flag or recite the pledge

Question 11

Brandenburg vs. Ohio

Answer 11

the absence of “imminent lawlessness”, the government was restricted from punishing speech

Question 12

Texas vs. Johnson

Answer 12

Burning of the flag was a form of symbolic speech protected by the 1st amendment. Congress passed the Flag Protection Act but was ruled unconstitutional. Ruling was aimed to protect the rights of Americans to protest against government policies and more broadly protect freedoms of political expression.

Question 13

Miller vs. California

Answer 13

Supreme Court created the Miller Test for deciding whether something is obscene

Question 14

Branzburg vs. Hayes

Answer 14

Reporters received information from sources in confidence does not allow them to withhold information during government investigation

Question 15

Mapp vs. Ohio

Answer 15

evidence obtained without a warrant didn’t fall under one of the search warrant exceptions couldn’t be used as evidence in a state criminal trial

Question 16

Gideon vs. Wainwright

Answer 16

poor defendants must be provided legal counsel in felony cases

Question 17

Miranda vs. Arizona

Answer 17

detained criminal suspects, prior to police questioning, must be informed of their constitutional right to an attorney and against self- incrimination

Question 18

Furman vs. Georgia

Answer 18

striking down all states on death penalty to ensure law was not being administered in a discriminatory manner towards racial and ethnic minorities

Question 19

Heller vs. DC

Answer 19

declared there to be an individual right to bear arms

Question 20

McDonald vs. Chicago

Answer 20

states may not interfere with gun ownership relative self defense

Question 21

US vs. Miller

Answer 21

Supreme Court ruled that Congress could regulate firearms that aren’t regularly used by the military because of the interpretation of the 2nd Amendment

Question 22

Plessy vs. Ferguson

Answer 22

Plessy, a mixed racial man, sat in a whites only railroad car in protest of the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment. The court ruled the law wasn’t in violation of the equal protection principle because the different train cars were separate but equal.

Question 23

Brown vs. Boe of Topeka

Answer 23

the existence of racially segregated public schools violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The ruling was overturned and legal support for segregated schools nationwide was removed.

Question 24

Miller vs. Johnson

Answer 24

race could not be the “dominant and controlling” motivation for drawing congressional districts

Question 25

Roe vs. Wade

Answer 25

woman’s right to an abortion

Question 26

Griswold vs. Connecticut

Answer 26

a woman’s right to an abortion, trimester framework, and ruled that married couples have the right to use birth control

Question 27

Planned Parenthood vs. Casey

Answer 27

states cannot ban abortions before the point at which the fetus is able to sustain life outside the womb. states cannot ban abortions that help preserve the life or health of the mother

Question 28

Buckley vs. Valeo

Answer 28

struck down limits on spending by campaigns and citizens, but upheld the provision limiting the size of individual contributions to campaigns

Question 29

Citizens vs. FEC

Answer 29

corporations and other outside groups can spend unlimited amounts of money on elections. they can spend an unlimited amount of funds on campaign advertising, it is only if they are not formally “coordinating” with a candidate or political party

Question 30

Obergefell vs. Hodges

Answer 30

held that the 4th Amendment and equal protections elements of the 14th Amendment guaranteed same- sex couples that were married as the same rights as other married couples, and these marriages would be recognized in all states and territories