Supreme Court Cases

Question 1

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Answer 1

Established NATIONAL SUPREMACY; established implied powers; use of elastic clause; state unable to tax federal institution; John Marshall; “the power to tax involves the power to destroy”

Question 2

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Answer 2

The Supreme Court gave a wide definition to congress’ power to “regulate commerce… among several states.”

Question 3

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Answer 3

Decision upheld property rights over human rights. Divided a nation; ruled the Missouri compromise of 1820 unconstitutional.

Question 4

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Answer 4

Established separate but equal.

Question 5

Schenk v. U.S.

Answer 5

Oliver Wendell Holmes; CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TEST; shouting “fire” in a crowded theater; limits on speech, especially during wartime.

Question 6

Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Answer 6

Established precedent of federalizing Bill of Rights (APPLYING THEM TO STATES) states cannot deny freedom of speech, protected through due process clause of amendment 14.

Question 7

Powell v. Alabama (1932)

Answer 7

Supreme Court ruled here that the RIGHT TO COUNCIL was required by law in death penalty trials.

Question 8

Palko v. Connecticut (1937)

Answer 8

Provided test for determining which parts of Bill of Rights should be federalized, those which are implicitly or explicitly necessary for liberty to exist.

Question 9

Brown v. Board 1 (1954)

Answer 9

School segregation unconstitutional; segregation psychologically damaging to blacks; overturned separate but equal

Question 10

Brown v. Board 2 (1955)

Answer 10

Order schools to desegregate “with all due and deliberate speed”

Question 11

NAACP v. Alabama (1958)

Answer 11

Freedom of association (the right to assemble in groups) was protected here

Question 12

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Answer 12

Established exclusionary rule; ILLEGALLY OBTAINED EVIDENCE cannot be used in court; warren court’s judicial activism

Question 13

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Answer 13

Prohibited STATE SPONSORED RECITATION OF PRAYER in public schools by Amendment 1’s establishment clause and the 14th Amendment’s due process clause.

Question 14

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Answer 14

“ONE MAN, ONE VOTE.” Ordered state legislative districts to be a near equal as possible in population

Question 15

Abbington v. Schempp (1963)

Answer 15

Prohibited DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING in public schools by virtue of establishment clause and due process clause.

Question 16

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Answer 16

Ordered states to provide lawyers to those unable to afford them in criminal proceedings.

Question 17

Wesberry v. Sanders (1963)

Answer 17

Ordered house districts to be as near equal in population as possible.

Question 18

Heart of Atlanta motel inc. v. U.S. (1964)

Answer 18

Court ruled that congress could outlaw racial segregation of private facilities that are engaged in interstate commerce.

Question 19

Griswald v. Connecticut (1965)

Answer 19

Established right of privacy through 4th and 9th Amendments. Set a precedent for Roe v. Wade.

Question 20

Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966)

Answer 20

Poll taxes were made illegal for state elections, as they violated the Equal Protection clause of the 14th amendment.

Question 21

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Answer 21

Established Miranda warnings of counsel and silence. Must be given before questioning.

Question 22

In Re Gault (1967)

Answer 22

Children were granted some of the rights in criminal cases protected by the Bill of Rights.

Question 23

Epperson v. Arkansas (1968)

Answer 23

Prohibited states from banning the teaching of EVOLUTION.

Question 24

Tinker v. Des Moines SD (1969)

Answer 24

Court upheld the students 1st amendment right. Students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the school house gate”

Question 25

New York Times v. US (1971)

Answer 25

The pentagon papers case. Court refuses to impose a prior restraint on the publication of the papers, even if publication would embarrass government, would not endanger national security.

Question 26

Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)

Answer 26

Established 3 part test to determine if establishment clause is violated; non secular purpose, advances/inhibits religion, excessive entanglement with government.

Question 27

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Answer 27

Established national abortion guidelines; trimester guidelines; no state interference in 1st, state may regulate to protect health of mother in 2nd, state may regulate to protect health of unborn child in 3rd.

Question 28

US v. Nixon (1974)

Answer 28

Allowed for executive privilege, but not in criminal cases; “even the president is not above the law” watergate

Question 29

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

Answer 29

1st amendment protects campaign spending; legislatures can limit contributions, but not how much one spends of his own money on campaigns.

Question 30

U.C. Regents v. Bakke (1978)

Answer 30

Alan Bakke and U.C Davis medical school; strict quotas unconstitutional, but state may allow race to be taken into account as ONE factor in admissions decisions. Bakke admitted.

Question 31

New Jersey v. TLO (1985)

Answer 31

4th and 14th amendments; student accused of smoking in bathroom, principal searches purse to find cigarettes, marijuana, and evidence that TLK had been dealing in school. Was this unreasonable search and seizure?

Question 32

Bethel SD v. Fraser (1986)

Answer 32

1st amendment, freedom of speech; students use of sexually suggestive political speech at a high school assembly to elect officers

Question 33

Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1987)

Answer 33

More leeway for states in regulating abortion, though no overturning of Roe v. Wade

Question 34

Hazelwood SD v. Kuhlmeier (1988)

Answer 34

1st amendment, freedom of speech; principal removed two articles from the upcoming issue of the student newspaper deeming their content “inappropriate, personal, sensitive, and unsuitable for student readers”

Question 35

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)

Answer 35

States can regulate abortion, but not with regulations that impose “undue burden” upon women; did not overturn Roe v. Wade, but gave states more leeway in regulating abortion

Question 36

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Answer 36

No RACIAL GERRYMANDERING; race cannot be sole of predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries.

Question 37

US v. Lopez (1995)

Answer 37

Gun free school zones act exceeded congress authority to regulate interstate commerce

Question 38

Reno v. ACLU (1997)

Answer 38

With this ruling, the court repealed parts of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, extending First amendment right free speech principles to the INTERNET.

Question 39

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Answer 39

Established JUDICIAL REVIEW; “midnight judges;” John Marshall power of the Supreme Court.