Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers Flashcards
7 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 7 Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers flashcards as text
In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that state-sponsored prayer in public schools violated which constitutional provision?
Answer: The Establishment Clause
The Court held that government-composed prayer in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Which Supreme Court case established that the government cannot deny a person liberty or property without proper legal procedures?
Answer: Mathews v. Eldridge
Mathews v. Eldridge (1976) set the balancing test used to determine what procedural protections Due Process requires before the government deprives someone of a protected interest.
The Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) guaranteed that defendants in criminal cases have the right to:
Answer: An attorney provided by the state if they cannot afford one
Gideon v. Wainwright held that the Sixth Amendment's right to counsel applies to state criminal proceedings through the Fourteenth Amendment.
In New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964), the Supreme Court held that public officials suing for defamation must prove:
Answer: Actual malice — knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth
The Court created the 'actual malice' standard to protect robust public debate and prevent officials from silencing critics through libel suits.
Which landmark case held that burning the American flag as political protest is protected by the First Amendment?
Answer: Texas v. Johnson (1989)
In Texas v. Johnson, the Court ruled 5-4 that flag burning is symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court's decision in Loving v. Virginia (1967) struck down laws that prohibited:
Answer: Interracial marriage
The Court unanimously ruled that Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute violated both the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.
In Kelo v. City of New London (2005), the Supreme Court ruled that governments may use eminent domain to transfer private property to:
Answer: Private developers for economic development purposes
The Court held 5-4 that economic development qualifies as a 'public use' under the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause.