About this Flash Card Set
12 Cards
by marcus_reed
Key U.S. Supreme Court cases every civics and AP Government student should know, with what each one decided and why it matters.
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Marbury v. Madison (1803)
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Established judicial review — the power of courts to strike down laws that violate the Constitution.
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McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
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Affirmed federal supremacy and Congress's implied powers ('necessary and proper' clause).
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Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
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Ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning 'separate but equal.'
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Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
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Guaranteed the right to an attorney for defendants who cannot afford one.
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Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
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Required police to inform suspects of their rights ('Miranda rights') before questioning.
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Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
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Protected students' free-speech rights in school ('students don't shed their rights at the schoolhouse gate').
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Roe v. Wade (1973)
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Recognized a constitutional right to abortion (later overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson, 2022).
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United States v. Nixon (1974)
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Limited executive privilege; the President is not above the law and had to release the Watergate tapes.
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Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
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Upheld 'separate but equal' segregation — later overturned by Brown v. Board.
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Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
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Held that political spending by corporations/unions is protected free speech.
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Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
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Applied the exclusionary rule to states — illegally obtained evidence can't be used in court.
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Why landmark cases matter
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They set precedents that shape how the Constitution is interpreted and applied for decades.
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