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
Which Supreme Court case established the principle of 'one person, one vote' in legislative apportionment?
Answer: Both B and C
Reynolds v. Sims applied the equal population principle to state legislatures, while Wesberry v. Sanders applied it to U.S. House districts.
In Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988), the Supreme Court held that school administrators may:
Answer: Censor school-sponsored publications for legitimate educational reasons
The Court ruled that school officials have broad authority over school-sponsored expressive activities like student newspapers as long as their actions are reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.
The Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia (1972) effectively halted the death penalty in the United States by ruling that its application was:
Answer: Arbitrary and capricious, constituting cruel and unusual punishment
The Court's fractured 5-4 ruling found that the arbitrary way states applied the death penalty violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.
What was the significance of Korematsu v. United States (1944)?
Answer: It upheld Japanese American internment, applying the first 'strict scrutiny' standard to racial classifications
Although the Court upheld internment, it introduced the strict scrutiny standard for racial classifications — a standard later used to strike down racial discrimination.
In Citizens United v. FEC (2010), the Supreme Court held that political spending by corporations and unions is:
Answer: A form of protected free speech under the First Amendment
The Court ruled 5-4 that restricting independent political expenditures by corporations, unions, and other associations violates the First Amendment.
Which Supreme Court case established that suspects in police custody must be informed of their rights before interrogation?
Answer: Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Miranda v. Arizona required police to inform suspects of their right to remain silent and their right to an attorney before custodial interrogation.
The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) is best known for establishing the doctrine of:
Answer: Separate but equal facilities for different races
Plessy upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine, which was later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.