Supreme Court Cases Quiz

Which Supreme Court case established the principle of "judicial review"?

• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Answer explanation

Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of 'judicial review' by declaring an act of Congress unconstitutional, setting the precedent for the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution.

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?

• States could tax federal banks

• States could not tax something created by the national government

• States could deny federal appointments

• States could pass laws conflicting with federal laws

Answer explanation

States could not tax something created by the national government

What was the main issue in the Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) case?

• Whether slaves could be classified as property

• Whether segregation in schools was constitutional

• Whether free speech could be limited during wartime

• Whether Japanese-Americans could be interned during World War II

Answer explanation

The main issue in the Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) case was whether slaves could be classified as property.

Match the following cases with their significance:

• It ruled that free speech could be limited during wartime.

• Schenck v. United States (1919)

• It established the "separate but equal doctrine."

• Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

• It declared that slaves were property.

• Korematsu v. United States (1944)

• It ruled that Japanese-Americans could be interned during World War II.

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

What did the Supreme Court rule in Schenck v. United States (1919)?

• Free speech could be limited during wartime.

• Segregation was allowed as long as accommodations were equal.

• Slaves were classified as property.

• Japanese-Americans could be interned during World War II.

Answer explanation

The Supreme Court ruled in Schenck v. United States (1919) that free speech could be limited during wartime.

What was the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

• The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was constitutional.

• The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional under the 14th amendment.

• The Supreme Court ruled that states had to provide free legal counsel to anybody who couldn't afford it.

• The Supreme Court ruled that an individual held for questioning must be clearly informed of their rights.

Answer explanation

The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional under the 14th amendment.

What was the main issue in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)?

• Segregation in schools.

• Right to free legal counsel.

• Right to privacy.

• Right to be informed of rights during interrogation.

Answer explanation

The main issue in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) was the right to free legal counsel, not segregation in schools, right to privacy, or right to be informed of rights during interrogation.

The Supreme Court decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) established the concept of

• freedom of speech

• equal protection of the law

• the supremacy of the National Government

• the rights of labor unions

Answer explanation

The Supreme Court decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) established the concept of the supremacy of the National Government.

The Dred Scott decision on the issue of slavery upheld the Southern viewpoint that

• the power of the Supreme Court did not extend to cases of race

• Congress could not pass a law depriving people of their property

• a national vote should be held to decide the legality of slavery

• the economic well-being of the western states depended on slave labor

Answer explanation

The Dred Scott decision upheld the Southern view that Congress could not pass a law depriving people of their property, referring to slaves as property.

What was the decision of the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)?

• Black codes were unconstitutional

• The citizenship principle established in Dred Scott v. Stanford was repealed

• The 15th amendment failed to guarantee the right to vote to all males

• Racial segregation did not violate the equal protection provision in the 14th amendment

Answer explanation

Racial segregation did not violate the equal protection provision in the 14th amendment