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AP GOV Required Court Cases

McCulloch V. Maryland

  • Can Congress create a national bank, and can states tax the National gov.

  • Yes, No

  • Constitution principal - Necessary and proper clause, Supremacy Clause (Federal gov. trumps state government)

US. V. Lopez

  • Broken Federal Gun Free Schools Act

  • Can Federal Gov make that law?

  • Gun Free Schools Act is unconstitutional, doesn’t affect interstate commerce

  • Congress exceeds interstate commerce clause, therefore its a state power, following the 10th amendment.

Baker V. Carr

  • Tennessee alleged districts were uneven

  • Issues of Gerrymandering

  • One person One vote Principle, districts have to be of a certain size because of 14th amendments equal protection clause.

Shaw v. Reno

  • North Carolina drew Gerrymandered lines to increase minority voter representation

  • Cannot do that, drawing on race for any reason is not permissible

  • Equal protection clause based on colorblind ideal of the Constitution

Marbury V. Maddison

  • Marbury got elected before Jefferson left office, then Maddison took his place and didn’t put him into work not getting him his commission

  • Unconstitutional - Judicial Review - Court granted it to themselves by Supremacy clause

Ingle v. Vital

  • States cannot hold prayer in public schools even if its voluntary and nondenominational

  • Establishment Clause does not allow a promotion of a religion nationally

Wisconsin V. Yoder

  • Amish didn’t want to send their kids to highschool bc of religion

  • In favor of amish based on Free Exercise Clause is more compelling and outweighs attendance by state want.

Schenck V. US

  • Man promoting resistance of Draft

  • Espionage Act - obstructing military procedures

  • Court ruled that Espionage Act was appropriately used to restrict speech

  • Allows time place manner restrictions on free speech

Tinker V. Des Moines

  • A few students wore black armbands to protest Vietnam and they were suspended

  • Were the bands free protected speech?

  • Yes, symbolic speech is protected as pure speech and students in public schools have free speech based on the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.

New York Times V. US

  • Nixon administration wanted to stop publication of

  • Gov. Cannot block the pentagon papers from being published

  • Freedom of the Press - really hard for court to rule in favor of censorship

Gideon V. Wainwright

  • He asked the court to appoint an attorney for him saying state law says he didn’t have to do that

  • He appeals to SC and SC ruled that courts must provide attorney in state government if one cannot afford one.

McDonald V. Chicago

  • CHicago made the process to get handguns impossible

  • Ruled that right to bear arms includes for self defense, and that also applies to states

  • Incorporates individual right to bear arms and states cannot strip that away

Brown V. Board of Education

  • Black students were segregated out of white schools

  • Court held that racial segregation of public schools, overturning Plessy v Ferguson

  • 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause - Separate but equal was not equal.

Citizens United v. FEC

  • Bipartisan campaign reform act

  • Not allowed to make political ads within 30-60 days of primary or general elections

  • State that interest groups and everyone has speech rights allowing them to spend money independently of the candidate

  • Based on Free Speech rights, unions interest groups etc can raise and spend as much as they want without giving directly to the candidate.

RP

AP GOV Required Court Cases

McCulloch V. Maryland

  • Can Congress create a national bank, and can states tax the National gov.

  • Yes, No

  • Constitution principal - Necessary and proper clause, Supremacy Clause (Federal gov. trumps state government)

US. V. Lopez

  • Broken Federal Gun Free Schools Act

  • Can Federal Gov make that law?

  • Gun Free Schools Act is unconstitutional, doesn’t affect interstate commerce

  • Congress exceeds interstate commerce clause, therefore its a state power, following the 10th amendment.

Baker V. Carr

  • Tennessee alleged districts were uneven

  • Issues of Gerrymandering

  • One person One vote Principle, districts have to be of a certain size because of 14th amendments equal protection clause.

Shaw v. Reno

  • North Carolina drew Gerrymandered lines to increase minority voter representation

  • Cannot do that, drawing on race for any reason is not permissible

  • Equal protection clause based on colorblind ideal of the Constitution

Marbury V. Maddison

  • Marbury got elected before Jefferson left office, then Maddison took his place and didn’t put him into work not getting him his commission

  • Unconstitutional - Judicial Review - Court granted it to themselves by Supremacy clause

Ingle v. Vital

  • States cannot hold prayer in public schools even if its voluntary and nondenominational

  • Establishment Clause does not allow a promotion of a religion nationally

Wisconsin V. Yoder

  • Amish didn’t want to send their kids to highschool bc of religion

  • In favor of amish based on Free Exercise Clause is more compelling and outweighs attendance by state want.

Schenck V. US

  • Man promoting resistance of Draft

  • Espionage Act - obstructing military procedures

  • Court ruled that Espionage Act was appropriately used to restrict speech

  • Allows time place manner restrictions on free speech

Tinker V. Des Moines

  • A few students wore black armbands to protest Vietnam and they were suspended

  • Were the bands free protected speech?

  • Yes, symbolic speech is protected as pure speech and students in public schools have free speech based on the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.

New York Times V. US

  • Nixon administration wanted to stop publication of

  • Gov. Cannot block the pentagon papers from being published

  • Freedom of the Press - really hard for court to rule in favor of censorship

Gideon V. Wainwright

  • He asked the court to appoint an attorney for him saying state law says he didn’t have to do that

  • He appeals to SC and SC ruled that courts must provide attorney in state government if one cannot afford one.

McDonald V. Chicago

  • CHicago made the process to get handguns impossible

  • Ruled that right to bear arms includes for self defense, and that also applies to states

  • Incorporates individual right to bear arms and states cannot strip that away

Brown V. Board of Education

  • Black students were segregated out of white schools

  • Court held that racial segregation of public schools, overturning Plessy v Ferguson

  • 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause - Separate but equal was not equal.

Citizens United v. FEC

  • Bipartisan campaign reform act

  • Not allowed to make political ads within 30-60 days of primary or general elections

  • State that interest groups and everyone has speech rights allowing them to spend money independently of the candidate

  • Based on Free Speech rights, unions interest groups etc can raise and spend as much as they want without giving directly to the candidate.