Required Supreme Court Cases AP Gov Review

Background

• Students in AP US Government & Politics must know 15 Supreme Court cases for the AP exam.
• Familiarity with the decisions, majority opinions, and societal impacts is necessary.
• Cases are essential content in college courses, providing a basis for future politics courses.

Importance

• FRQ #3 on the AP exam: Requires comparing a required case with another case presented.
• Required cases feature in multiple-choice questions on the exam.
• In-depth analysis of cases is crucial for exam preparation.

Required Cases

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)
• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
• Schenck v. United States (1919)
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
• Engel v. Vitale (1962)
• Baker v. Carr (1962)
• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
• Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
• New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
• Shaw v. Reno (1993)
• United States v. Lopez (1995)
• McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
• Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Case Analysis Framework

• Context by College Board: Understanding the significance of each case.
• Summary of the Case: Contextual background for comparative essays.
• Constitutional Issues: Key constitutional questions each case presents.
• Holding, Constitutional Principle, and Majority Opinion: Critical for comparison essays.

Cases Involving Federalism

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

• Summary: Dispute over state tax on federal bank.
• Issues: Implied powers of Congress, state power to tax federal entities.
• Holdings: Congress has implied powers through the Necessary & Proper Clause; states can't tax federal government per the Supremacy Clause.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

• Summary: Challenge to the Gun-Free School Zones Act under the Commerce Clause.
• Issues: Limits of Congress's commerce power.
• Holdings: The act exceeded Congress's powers, reaffirming state sovereignty and the Tenth Amendment.

Cases Involving the First Amendment

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

• Summary: Voluntary school prayer case.
• Issues: Violation of the Establishment Clause.
• Holdings: School-sponsored prayer violates the First Amendment.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

• Summary: Amish parents refuse high school attendance for religious reasons.
• Issues: Free exercise of religion vs. state education requirements.
• Holdings: Free exercise rights outweighed state interests beyond 8th grade.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

• Summary: Student protest with armbands.
• Issues: Free speech rights in schools.
• Holdings: Students retain speech rights; symbolic speech is protected.

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

• Summary: Pentagon Papers case.
• Issues: Prior restraint and freedom of the press.
• Holdings: Heavy presumption against prior restraint even for national security.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

• Summary: Distribution of anti-draft leaflets during WWI.
• Issues: Free speech during wartime.
• Holdings: Free speech can be limited during wartime.

Cases Involving Selective Incorporation

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Summary: Right to counsel for felony defendants.
• Issues: Sixth Amendment right to counsel in state courts.
• Holdings: Right to counsel is fundamental and applies to states via the Fourteenth Amendment.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

• Summary: Challenge to handgun bans after DC v. Heller.
• Issues: Second Amendment applicability to states.
• Holdings: Right to bear arms is incorporated to states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Cases Involving the Equal Protection Clause

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Summary: Racial segregation in schools.
• Issues: Equal Protection Clause and segregation.
• Holdings: "Separate but equal" is unconstitutional in public schooling.

Cases Involving Federal Policy

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

• Summary: Challenge to campaign finance restrictions.
• Issues: Free speech and political spending.
• Holdings: Corporations have free speech rights in political spending.

Cases Involving Districting & Representation

Baker v. Carr (1962)

• Summary: Legislative apportionment challenge.
• Issues: Supreme Court's authority on apportionment cases.
• Holdings: Court can hear apportionment cases due to Equal Protection concerns.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

• Summary: Challenge to racially gerrymandered districts.
• Issues: Equal Protection and racial gerrymandering.
• Holdings: Racial gerrymandering can be constitutionally challenged.

Cases Involving Judicial Review

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Summary: Judicial appointments and commissions.
• Issues: Authority to enforce judicial appointments.
• Holdings: Established judicial review by declaring a law unconstitutional.

Study Tips

• Create a study plan and environment.
• Quiz yourself on details of each case.
• Use Pomodoro technique for productivity.
• Study with friends for motivation.