Civic Literacy Exam Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 3

Question 1

What did the Supreme Court decide in Engel v. Vitale (1962)?

Accepted Answer

School-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment

Answer

Students may pray silently in public schools but not aloud

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Religious instruction may be taught as an elective in public schools

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Schools may post the Ten Commandments in classrooms as historical documents

Question 2

What constitutional right was at issue in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)?

Accepted Answer

The right to marital privacy, specifically access to contraception, found in 'penumbras' of the Bill of Rights

Answer

The right of pharmacies to dispense prescription medications without state interference

Answer

The right of married couples to adopt children without state approval

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The right of doctors to provide medical advice without government licensing requirements

Question 3

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in Bush v. Gore (2000)?

Accepted Answer

The Florida Supreme Court's recount order violated the Equal Protection Clause, and there was no time for a constitutionally adequate recount

Answer

The Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to resolve disputes in presidential elections

Answer

Florida's hanging chad ballots should have been recounted using a standard established by the Florida legislature

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The Electoral College has final authority in presidential elections, free from judicial review

Question 4

What was the significance of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) for students' rights?

Accepted Answer

Students do not 'shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate' and may engage in non-disruptive symbolic speech

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Students have the right to organize political clubs in public schools without administrative approval

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Schools cannot suspend students for off-campus speech posted on social media

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Teachers retain their First Amendment rights in the classroom without restrictions

Question 5

What did Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) decide?

Accepted Answer

Corporations and other associations have First Amendment rights to spend money on political speech, and limits on independent political expenditures are unconstitutional

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Citizens can form political action committees with unlimited donations from any domestic source

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Foreign corporations may not make political contributions in U.S. elections

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The government may require disclosure of all political donations above $200

Question 6

What was the key holding in Furman v. Georgia (1972) regarding capital punishment?

Accepted Answer

The arbitrary and inconsistent application of the death penalty at the time constituted cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th Amendment

Answer

The death penalty is unconstitutional in all circumstances under the 8th and 14th Amendments

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Only the most heinous murders may be punishable by death under the proportionality principle

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Executions must be carried out by lethal injection rather than more painful methods