Civic Literacy Workshop Notes

Introduction

• Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Biebergel, Associate Dean for Retention and Academic Support at Florida Atlantic University.
• Purpose: To prepare students for a Civic Literacy Exam by reviewing landmark Supreme Court cases.
• Disclaimer: Dr. Biebergel is not an attorney or constitutional lawyer.

Workshop Objectives

1. Review the civic literacy requirement.
2. Cover 22 landmark Supreme Court cases likely to appear on the exam.
3. Take a practice test.
4. Provide details on final workshop and exam registration.

Civic Literacy Requirement

• Requirement for all Florida State Universities and Colleges for AA or Bachelor's degree.
• Methods to satisfy the requirement include:
  • Completing specific courses (e.g., POS 2041, AMH 2020).
  • Passing AP tests in high school.
  • Taking a CLEP test on U.S. Government.
  • Taking a free civic literacy test at FAU.
• Civic Literacy Test:
  • 100 questions; 60% is a passing score.
  • Offered Monday to Friday, 9 AM - 2 PM.

Supreme Court Cases Overview

• Focus on 22 landmark cases, with emphasis on understanding case context and constitutional implications.

Key Cases Discussed

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

• Context: Dred Scott, a slave, claimed freedom after moving to a free state.
• Ruling: Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and could not sue in federal court.
• Impact: Nullified the Missouri Compromise.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Context: Upheld racial segregation under "separate but equal" doctrine.
• Impact: Legalized segregation until overturned by Brown v. Board of Education.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Context: Challenged "separate but equal" in public schools.
• Ruling: Segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

• Context: Addressed affirmative action and racial quotas in admissions.
• Ruling: Racial quotas are unconstitutional, but race can be a factor in admissions.

Bush v. Gore (2000)

• Context: Disputed 2000 presidential election recount in Florida.
• Ruling: Different standards of counting votes violated equal protection.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

• Context: Campaign finance laws and political spending.
• Ruling: Political spending is a form of protected speech; corporations and unions can spend unlimited amounts.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

• Context: School-sponsored prayer in public schools.
• Ruling: Violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

• Context: Flag burning as symbolic speech.
• Ruling: Flag burning is protected speech under the First Amendment.

New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)

• Context: Search of a student's property in school.
• Ruling: Schools can conduct searches with reasonable suspicion.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Context: Right to counsel for defendants who cannot afford an attorney.
• Ruling: Right to free legal counsel for criminal defendants is guaranteed.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

• Context: Abortion rights and state laws.
• Ruling: States cannot prohibit abortions in the first trimester.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Context: Establishment of judicial review.
• Ruling: Established the principle of judicial review in the U.S. legal system.

Conclusion

• Review: Recap of the cases and their constitutional significance.
• Practice Test: Students encouraged to take practice tests to prepare.
• Final Workshop: Information on how to sign up for the final workshop and civic literacy test.

Additional Resources

• Students can download practice tests and PowerPoint slides from Canvas.
• Sign up for the civic literacy test on FAU's testing website.