Ap Gov Required Court Cases

McCulloch v. Maryland

Maryland tried to tax the national bank, The Court unanimously ruled in favor of McCulloch, arguing that the national bank being constitutional was supported by the implied powers and authority of the Necessary and Proper Clause. (result/significance: Congress has IMPLIED powers to create a necessary and proper bank)

U.S. v. Lopez

Congress may NOT use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime

Engel v. Vitale

Struck down state-sponsored prayer in public schools. Ruled that the Regents' prayer was an unconstitutional violation of the ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Amish people refused to send their children to school past the 8th grade when the state required public schooling for all children until age16. Significance/ Result: This law is in conflict with the FREE EXERCISE CLAUSE. The statute is in direct conflict with Amish beliefs. The Amish may teach themselves.

Tinker v. Des Moines

Guaranteed a student's FIRST AMENDMENT right to protest (wearing armbands).

New York Times v. U.S.

Supreme Court case protecting the FREEDOM OF THE PRESS by allowing the New York Times to publish the "Pentagon Papers" despite the Justice Department's order to restrict it

Schenck v. U.S.

Oliver Wendell Holmes; clear and present danger test; shouting "fire" in a crowded theater; limits on speech, esp. in wartime.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that a defendant in a felony trial must be provided a lawyer free of charge if the defendant cannot afford one.

Roe v. Wade

The court legalized abortion by ruling that state laws could not restrict it during the first three months of pregnancy. Based on 4th Amendment rights of a person to be secure in their persons.

McDonald v. Chicago

The right of an individual to "keep and bear arms" protected by the 2nd Amendment is incorporated by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment and applies to the states.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 - The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated.

Citizens United v. FEC

corporations have a 1st Amendment right to expressly support political candidates for Congress and the White House

Baker v. Carr

Established the principle of "one person, one vote" and made such patterns of representation illegal. The Court asserted that the federal courts had the right to tell states to reapportion their districts for more equal representation.

Shaw v. Reno

NO racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority-minority districts.

Marbury v. Madison

Established judicial review; "midnight judges;" John Marshall; power of the Supreme Court.