Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers Flashcards
6 cards from real FCLE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers flashcards as text
What was the central holding of Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
Answer: The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review to strike down unconstitutional laws
In Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall established judicial review — the Supreme Court's power to declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?
Answer: Racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional
In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.
What constitutional right was established by Miranda v. Arizona (1966)?
Answer: The right to be informed of one's rights before police interrogation
Miranda v. Arizona established that suspects in police custody must be informed of their rights — including the right to remain silent and to an attorney — before interrogation.
The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) upheld which doctrine?
Answer: Separate but equal racial segregation
Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine, ruling that separate facilities were legal as long as they were equal.
What was the significance of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
Answer: It upheld the federal government's implied powers and the supremacy of federal law over state law
McCulloch v. Maryland upheld the federal government's implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause and declared states cannot tax federal institutions, affirming federal supremacy.
What was the ruling in Engel v. Vitale (1962) regarding school-sponsored prayer?
Answer: School-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause
The Supreme Court ruled that government-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government endorsement of religion.