Significance of U.S. Supreme Court Decisions

What was the significance of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803)?

• It gave the Court the power to mediate disputes between different states.

• It gave the Court original jurisdiction in disputes involving foreign governments.

• It established the power of the Court to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional.

• It established the right of the court to advise Congress in advance on the validity of proposed laws

Which statement describes the significance of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Miranda v. Arizona (1966)?

• Southern states could no longer maintain racially segregated public schools.

• States could no longer have racial quotas as part of their affirmative action programs.

• Individuals accused of serious crimes unable to pay for an attorney were entitled to a state-sponsored one.

• Suspects had to be told of their right to have an attorney present or to remain silent during police interrogations.

The passage below is from the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857). We think... that [African Americans] are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word "citizens" in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights... and privileges which that instrument provides... Based on this reasoning, what did the Supreme Court conclude?

• African Americans should seek justice in the state courts rather than in the federal courts.

• The practice of slavery clearly violates the U.S. Constitution, but African Americans still have no rights in court.

• The Court has no jurisdiction over the case because an African American has no right to sue in federal court.

• African Americans have a right to file lawsuits in Northern states, where slavery is prohibited, but not in Southern states, where slavery is permitted.

Which statement identifies the social impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

• It overturned racial segregation in public schools.

• It overturned the earlier decision of Gideon v. Wainwright.

• It upheld state laws requiring the payment of poll taxes to vote.

• It upheld state laws requiring racial segregation on railroad cars.

In which U.S. Supreme Court decision did Chief Justice John Marshall establish the power of the Court to invalidate a "law repugnant to [in conflict with] the Constitution"?

• U.S. v. Nixon

• Miranda v. Arizona

• Marbury v. Madison

• Brown v. Board of Education

What lesson did state courts learn from the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright?

• Minors are entitled to many of the same "due process" rights as adults.

• Evidence cannot be presented in a court trial if obtained by police in an unlawful search.

• Suspects must be informed of their 5th and 6th Amendment rights prior to police interrogation.

• A person accused of a felony who cannot afford an attorney is entitled to have one appointed by the court.

The passage below is from the U.S. Supreme Court decision In re Gault (1967). From the inception of the juvenile court system, wide differences have been tolerated... between the procedural rights accorded to adults and those of juveniles. In practically all jurisdictions, there are rights granted to adults, which are withheld from juveniles. . . . [H]istory has again demonstrated that unbridled discretion, however benevolently motivated, is frequently a poor substitute for principle and procedure. . . . Which conclusion did the Court draw from this reasoning?

• Evidence cannot be presented in a court of law if obtained by police in an unlawful search.

• States must provide minors accused of crimes with most of the same “due process” rights given to adults.

• Suspects must be informed of their Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights prior to being questioned by the police.

• A person accused of a felony who is unable to afford an attorney is entitled to have one provided by the court.

The passage below is from the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). We consider the underlying fallacy of the plaintiff’s argument to consist in the assumption that the enforced separation of the two races stamps the colored race with a badge of inferiority. If this be so, it is not by reason of anything found in the act, but solely because the colored race chooses to put that construction upon it. . . . If the civil and political rights of both races be equal, one cannot be inferior to the other civilly or politically. If one race be inferior to the other socially, the constitution of the United States cannot put them upon the same plane. What was the impact on society of the reasoning above?

• Racial segregation remained in place in the South for another half century.

• Southern state governments were forced to end their practice of racial segregation.

• State governments had to ensure the economic and social equality of their residents.

• State governments no longer had to provide equal facilities to members of different races.

The timeline below shows several Supreme Court cases and constitutional amendments. Which conclusion can be drawn from the events shown on the timeline?

• The Supreme Court has never reversed its earlier decisions.

• State courts are not required to follow the decisions of the Supreme Court.

• The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Constitution may be changed by later decisions or amendments.

• The institution of slavery and racial segregation were both ended by the decisions of the Supreme Court.

The passage below is from the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children. The impact is greater when it has the sanction of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the [African-American] group. . . . We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. What was the impact of this reasoning by the U.S. Supreme Court?

• Southern states were forced to end all racial segregation in public schools.

• Southern states were required to ensure the economic and social equality of all races.

• Racial segregation was discontinued in public elementary schools but continued in higher grades.

• Southern states could maintain separate schools for African-American and white children if they were of equal quality.