AP Gov Required SCOTUS Cases

In McCulloch v. Maryland , the Supreme Court established which of the following principles?

• States cannot interfere with or tax the legitimate activities of the federal government.

• The judicial branch cannot intervene in political disputes between the President and Congress.

• The federal Bill of Rights places no limitations on the states.

• It is within the judiciary's authority to interpret the constitution.

In Engel v. Vitale (1962), which of the following provides the legal reasoning behind the Supreme Court’s ruling?

• It ruled that the state had an overarching right to compel students to listen to a nondenominational prayer led by public school teachers, finding such action permissible under the Tenth Amendment.

• It ruled that the state had no justifiable interest to compel students to listen to a nondenominational prayer led by public school teachers, finding a clear establishment clause violation.

• It balanced the school’s interest in providing for an open and peaceful frame of mind for the school day with the interest of the students in not being subjected to the prayer, ultimately ruling for the state.

• It rejected the student complaint, as public school students have no free exercise rights in school.

The decision in US v Lopez (1995) reflected new ideas about federalism at the time that can best be described as...?

• An affirmation of the supremacy of national laws over states.

• An increase in cooperative federalism, where more powers and duties were shared between state and federal governments.

• A narrowing of the authority of the commerce clause to only cases that involved economic activities..

• The federal government has the constitutional right to regulate gun laws in every state because of the supremacy clause.

A classified Department of Defense study on the effectiveness of the United States involvement in the Afghanistan War is obtained by a newspaper. The president seeks to block the publication of the document. The court rules in favor of the newspaper, citing as precedent the Supreme Court’s decision in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971). Based on the ruling in the Supreme Court’s decision, which of the following lines of reasoning does the court most likely use?

• Freedom of the press cannot be abridged except for restrictions on time, place, and manner of the communication.

• Freedom of the press requires that the government show a significant danger to national security in order to stop publication.

• Freedom of the press permits the press to print any story, but if the story embarrasses public officials, they can sue under defamation laws.

• Freedom of the press permits the press to print any story, but if the story embarrasses public officials, they can sue under defamation laws.

Which of the following cases decided whether a state could compel children to attend school beyond eighth grade even if it violated the students’ sincerely held religious beliefs?

• United States v. Lopez (1995)

• Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)

• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Which of the following Supreme Court decisions allows public school students to wear T-shirts protesting a school board decision that eliminates funding for high school arts programs?

• Engel v. Vitale (1962)

• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)

• New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

In the majority opinion of a United States Supreme Court case, Justice Alito wrote, “we now turn directly to the question whether the…right to keep and bear arms is incorporated in the concept of due process. In answering that question, . . . we must decide whether the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty.”

Which Supreme Court case is most aligned with Justice Alito's reasoning to treat gun ownership for self-defense as a fundamental liberty?

• United States v. Lopez (1995)

• McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

• Baker v. Carr (1962)

• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

The clear-and-present danger test devised by the Supreme Court in the case of Schenck v United States was designed to define the conditions under which public authorities could

• ban obscene materials

• suspend habeas corpus protections

• limit free speech

• commit troops to situations of potential foreign combat

In Gideon v. Wainwright, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the

• Bible could be distributed at public schools under the free exercise clause of the First Amendment

• exclusionary rule prevented the introduction of evidence seized in violation of the Fourth Amendment from being introduced in court

• Sixth Amendment right-to-counsel provision applies to those accused of major crimes under state laws

• Eighth Amendment cruel-and-unusual-punishment provision cannot be applied in a discriminatory manner

In response to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold Act), the United States Supreme Court, in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), ruled that

• limits cannot be placed upon candidates’ contributions to their own campaigns

• independent campaign expenditures by corporations and unions are protected by the First Amendment

• limits on campaign contributions by minors are constitutional under the First Amendment

• requiring endorsement statements in campaign advertisements is unconstitutional