Landmark Supreme Court Cases Flashcards

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) upheld racial segregation under the doctrine of:

Answer: Separate but equal

The Court ruled that 'separate but equal' facilities did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment, a ruling later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education.

In Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court struck down laws that prohibited:

Answer: Interracial marriage

The Court unanimously ruled that Virginia's anti-miscegenation laws violated both the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

What right did Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) recognize for the first time?

Answer: A constitutional right to privacy within marriage

The Court found a right to marital privacy in the 'penumbras' of the Bill of Rights, striking down Connecticut's ban on contraceptive use by married couples.

The ruling in Texas v. Johnson (1989) protected which form of expression?

Answer: Flag burning as political protest

The Court held that burning the American flag as political protest is protected symbolic speech under the First Amendment.

In Korematsu v. United States (1944), the Supreme Court upheld the government's authority to:

Answer: Exclude Japanese Americans from the West Coast during World War II

The Court controversially upheld the exclusion of Japanese Americans from certain areas, though the decision has since been widely condemned and formally repudiated.

Which Supreme Court case first established the power of judicial review?

Answer: Marbury v. Madison

In Marbury v. Madison (1803), Chief Justice John Marshall established that the Supreme Court has the authority to strike down laws that conflict with the Constitution.

The Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) held that:

Answer: Same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry nationwide

The Court ruled 5-4 that the Fourteenth Amendment requires all states to license and recognize same-sex marriages.