Required Court Cases

Flashcard deck · A.P. U.S. Government · Required Court Cases · Social Studies

All 16 AP U.S. Government required court cases, from Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland to Dobbs v. Jackson and Citizens United v. FEC.

Terms in this deck

Baker v. Carr (1962)

A landmark case establishing that federal courts can hear cases about legislative apportionment. It introduced limits on the political question doctrine and enabled courts to address unequal voting districts.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Unanimously declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the separate but equal doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Ruled that corporations and organizations have First Amendment rights, allowing unlimited political spending as a form of protected free speech.

Dobbs v. Jackson (2022)

Overturned Roe v. Wade, ruling the Constitution does not grant a right to abortion and returning regulation to individual states.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Ruled that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Guaranteed the right to an attorney for criminal defendants who cannot afford one, applying the Sixth Amendment to states.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Established judicial review, giving the Supreme Court power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. Foundation of the Court's authority.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Ruled Congress has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause and states cannot tax federal institutions.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Extended the Second Amendment right to bear arms to state and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment incorporation doctrine.

New York Times v. United States (1971)

Ruled against prior restraint, allowing newspapers to publish the Pentagon Papers despite government objections.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Recognized a constitutional right to abortion based on the right to privacy, though later overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson in 2022.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Upheld limits on free speech during wartime using the clear and present danger test. Speech causing immediate harm is not protected.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Ruled that racial gerrymandering violates the Equal Protection Clause, requiring districts to be drawn without race as the predominant factor.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Protected students' right to symbolic political speech in schools, ruling that wearing black armbands to protest war was constitutional.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

Limited congressional power under the Commerce Clause by striking down a federal law banning guns near schools as exceeding federal authority.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Held that Amish families could withdraw children from school after eighth grade, protecting free exercise of religion over compulsory education laws.

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