Review Gov't Final

​Government Review

By Abram Gonzalez

Background

• In 1800, President John Adams lost re-election to Thomas Jefferson.

• Before leaving office, Adams appointed several justices of the peace, including William Marbury.

• The commissions were signed and sealed but not delivered before Jefferson took office.

• Jefferson instructed James Madison, his Secretary of State, not to deliver the commissions.

Marbury v. Madison

Multiple Choice

Who was denied his commission as a justice of the peace?

• Thomas Jefferson

• James Madison

• William Marbury

• John Adams

Multiple Choice

Who was the Secretary of State involved in the case?

• John Adams

• William Marbury

• Thomas Jefferson

• James Madison

Legal Conflict

• Marbury petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus to force Madison to deliver his commission.

• A writ of mandamus is a court order requiring a government official to carry out their official duties.

Marbury v. Madison

Multiple Choice

What legal document did Marbury request from the Supreme Court?

• Judicial review

• Writ of mandamus

• Bill of rights

• Executive order

Key Legal Questions

• Did Marbury have a right to his commission?

• Did the Supreme Court have the authority to issue the writ?

• Was the Judiciary Act of 1789 constitutional?

Marbury v. Madison

Decision

• The Court ruled that Marbury had a right to his commission.

• However, the Supreme Court did not have the constitutional authority to issue the writ.

• The Judiciary Act of 1789 was declared unconstitutional because it gave the Court powers not granted by the Constitution.

Marbury v. Madison

Multiple Choice

Why didn’t Marbury receive his commission?

• Congress repealed the law

• The Supreme Court lacked authority

• Jefferson refused to sign it

•  Madison lost the document

Multiple Choice

Which law was declared unconstitutional in this case?

• The Constitution

• The Bill of Rights

• The Judiciary Act of 1789

• The Voting Rights Act

Impact

• This case established the principle of judicial review—the power of the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.

• It affirmed the role of the judiciary as an equal branch of government.

Marbury v. Madison

Multiple Choice

What power did Marbury v. Madison establish for the Supreme Court?

• Executive privilege

• Judicial review

• Legislative veto

• Presidential pardon

Multiple Choice

Why is Marbury v. Madison considered a landmark case?

•  It ended slavery

• It created the Supreme Court

• It established judicial review

• It allowed presidential vetoes

Multiple Choice

What does judicial review allow the Supreme Court to do?

• Appoint judges

• Pass laws

• Enforce laws

•  Declare laws unconstitutional

Multiple Choice

Which branch of government gained power from this decision?

• Judicial

• Executive

• Legislative

• Military

Multiple Choice

What was the result for William Marbury?

• He became a judge

• He received compensation

•  He never got his commission

•  He was elected to Congress

Background

• In 1816, Congress created the Bank of the United States to help manage federal finances.

• The bank operated in Maryland, where state banks felt threatened by its presence.

• Maryland passed a law requiring any bank not chartered by the state to pay a special tax.

• The Bank of the U.S. refused to pay, and Maryland sued.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Multiple Choice

What institution did Congress create in 1816 that led to the case?

• Federal Reserve
  

• Bank of the United States

• Internal Revenue Service

• Department of Treasury

Multiple Choice

Why did Maryland sue the Bank of the United States?

• It refused to pay a state tax

• It printed counterfeit money

• It closed local banks

• It violated state banking laws

Multiple Choice

Which state was involved in the lawsuit against the federal bank?

• Virginia

• Pennsylvania

• New York

• Maryland

Legal Questions

• Did Congress have the constitutional authority to create a national bank?

• Could a state (Maryland) tax a federal institution?

McCulloch v. Maryland

Key Constitutional Clauses

• Necessary and Proper Clause: Allows Congress to make laws needed to carry out its powers.

• Supremacy Clause: Establishes that federal laws override state laws.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Multiple Choice

Which clause allows Congress to make laws needed to carry out its powers?

• Commerce Clause

• Supremacy Clause

• Necessary and Proper Clause

• Equal Protection Clause

Multiple Choice

Which clause establishes that federal laws override state laws?

• Supremacy Clause

• Establishment Clause

• Due Process Clause

• Full Faith and Credit Clause

Supreme Court Decision

• The Court ruled in favor of the federal government.

• It upheld Congress’s power to create a national bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause.

• It declared that states cannot tax federal institutions, reinforcing the Supremacy Clause.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Chief Justice John Marshall

Multiple Choice

What was the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding Maryland’s tax on the federal bank?

• Maryland could tax the bank

• The tax was unconstitutional

• The bank had to pay the tax

• Congress had to repeal the tax

Multiple Choice

Who was the Chief Justice during McCulloch v. Maryland?

• John Jay

• Roger Taney

• John Marshall

• William Rehnquist

Multiple Choice

What did the Court say about Congress’s ability to create a bank?

• It was unconstitutional

• It was not mentioned in the Constitution

• It was a proper use of implied powers

• It required state approval

Impact

• Strengthened the power of the national government.

• Clarified the relationship between state and federal authority.

• Set a precedent for broad interpretation of federal powers.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Multiple Choice

What effect did the ruling have on federal power?

• It limited federal power

• It expanded federal power

•  It gave states more control

•  It abolished state banks

Multiple Choice

What principle did the case reinforce about federal institutions?

• They must follow state laws

• They are immune from state interference

• They are subject to state taxation

• They must be approved by state legislatures

Background

• In the early 1950s, Black families across several states challenged laws requiring racial segregation in public schools (schools were run-down and lacked facilities)

• These cases were combined into one and brought before the Supreme Court (with the help of the NAACP) under the name Brown v. Board of Education.

• The case directly challenged the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which allowed segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education

Multiple Choice

What was one reason Black families challenged school segregation?

• Schools were too expensive

• Schools were run-down and lacked facilities

• Schools were overcrowded

• Schools were too far from home

Multiple Choice

Which organization helped challenge segregation in schools?

• NAACP

• FBI

• ACLU

• EPA

Legal Issue

• Is it constitutional to require children of color to attend separate schools from white children, even if the facilities are equal?

Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court Decision (1954)

• The Court ruled that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

• It found that separating children by race created a sense of inferiority and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

• The decision overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and declared that “separate but equal” has no place in public education.

Brown v. Board of Education

Multiple Choice

What did the Supreme Court rule in Brown v. Board of Education?

• Segregation in schools is constitutional

• Segregation in schools is unconstitutional

Multiple Choice

Which amendment was used to support the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education?

• 4th Amendment

• 5th Amendment

• 13th Amendment

• 14th Amendment

Multiple Choice

What message did segregation send to children of color, according to the Court?

• They were equal

• They were inferior

• They were privileged

• They were protected

Multiple Choice

What clause of the 14th Amendment was central to the Court’s decision?

• Due Process Clause

• Equal Protection Clause

•  Commerce Clause

•  Commerce Clause

Multiple Choice

Which earlier Supreme Court case did Brown v. Board of Education overturn?

• Roe v. Wade

• Plessy v. Ferguson

• Marbury v. Madison

• McCulloch v. Maryland

Impact

• The ruling was a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement.

• It led to the desegregation of schools and was later applied to colleges and universities.

• Resistance followed in some states, such as Alabama, where Governor George Wallace tried to block Black students from enrolling.

Brown v. Board of Education

Multiple Choice

What did Governor George Wallace do in response to the Brown decision?

• Supported integration

• Blocked Black students from registering

• Closed public schools

• Filed a lawsuit against the federal government

Multiple Choice

True or False: The Brown decision also applied to public colleges and universities.

• True

• False
  

Multiple Choice

What was the long-term impact of Brown v. Board of Education?

• It legalized segregation

•  It ended school funding
  

•  It led to school desegregation

• It created private schools

Background

• Ernesto Miranda was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, and interrogated for two hours without being informed of his rights.

• He signed a confession (for a violent crime) that was used against him in court, leading to his conviction.

​Miranda v. Arizona

Multiple Choice

What crime was Ernesto Miranda accused of?

• Theft

• A violent crime

• Tax evasion

• Drug trafficking

Legal Issue

• Was Miranda’s confession valid if he wasn’t informed of his 5th Amendment right to remain silent and his 6th Amendment right to legal counsel?

​Miranda v. Arizona

Multiple Choice

Which amendment protects against self-incrimination?

•  1st Amendment

• 4th Amendment

• 5th Amendment

• 6th Amendment

Multiple Choice

Which amendment guarantees the right to legal counsel?

• 1st Amendment

• 5th Amendment

• 6th Amendment

• 8th Amendment

Supreme Court Decision (1966)

• The Court ruled that suspects must be informed of their rights before interrogation.

• These rights include:

  • The right to remain silent

  • The right to an attorney

  • The right to have an attorney provided if they cannot afford one

• The Court emphasized that confessions must be truly voluntary and not coerced.

​Miranda v. Arizona

Multiple Choice

Why did Miranda argue his confession was invalid?

• He was underage

• He was coerced

• He wasn’t informed of his rights

• He didn’t understand English

Multiple Choice

What did the Supreme Court decide in Miranda v. Arizona?

• Miranda’s confession was valid

• Police must inform suspects of their rights

• Suspects must have a lawyer present at trial

• Police can use any confession

Impact

• The decision led to the creation of the Miranda Warning, which police must read to suspects before questioning.

• If rights are not read, any statements made during interrogation cannot be used in court.

• Miranda was retried and convicted without the confession.

​Miranda v. Arizona

Multiple Choice

What is the Miranda Warning?

• A law passed by Congress

• A statement read to suspects before questioning

• A Supreme Court justice’s opinion

• A police training manual

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is part of the Miranda Warning?

• You must answer all questions

• You have the right to remain silent

• You will be released after questioning

• You must hire your own lawyer

Multiple Choice

What happens if police fail to read the Miranda Warning?

• The suspect is released

• The case is dismissed

• Statements made cannot be used in court

• The suspect is fined

Multiple Choice

Why is a lawyer important during interrogation?

• To record the session

• To protect the suspect’s rights

• To negotiate bail

• To speak for the police

Multiple Choice

What was the outcome for Miranda after the Supreme Court decision?

• He was released permanently

• He was retried and convicted without the confession

• He became a lawyer

• He sued the police department