Court Case Review | AP Gov | NEW!

Summary

In this video, Carey LaManna provides a summary of key Supreme Court cases that are crucial for the AP Government exam, detailing aspects such as facts, issues, holdings, and reasoning. Covering 14 major cases, the video highlights their impact on federal and state powers, civil liberties, and civil rights. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding court rulings and reasoning in the context of the Constitution, covering landmark decisions including Marbury vs. Madison, Brown vs. Board of Education, and Citizens United vs. FEC.

Highlights

• Marbury vs. Madison established judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to invalidate unconstitutional laws ⚖️
• Brown vs. Board of Education ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional, promoting desegregation 🏫
• Citizens United vs. FEC allowed unlimited corporate spending on political speech, reshaping campaign finance 💰
• McDonald vs. Chicago applied the Second Amendment to states, impacting gun control laws 🔫
• Gideon vs. Wainwright ensured the right to counsel for defendants who can't afford attorneys 🧑‍⚖️

Key Takeaways

• Understanding court cases is crucial for the AP exam—know the facts, issues, holdings, and reasoning 📚
• Marbury vs. Madison established judicial review, boosting the Supreme Court's power ⚖️
• Brown vs. Board of Education was pivotal in desegregating schools but showed limits in policy enforcement 🏫❌
• Citizens United vs. FEC changed the landscape of political campaign financing 💸
• Second Amendment rights were reinforced in McDonald vs. Chicago, limiting state power on gun laws 🔫

Overview

In this insightful video, Carey LaManna tackles the essential court cases that every AP Government student must grasp. The video methodically breaks down each case into four easy-to-understand components: facts, issues, holdings, and reasoning. This framework helps students comprehend the profound impact these Supreme Court decisions have had on shaping American law and governance.

LaManna highlights pivotal cases such as Marbury vs. Madison, which cemented the principle of judicial review, and Brown vs. Board of Education, which was instrumental in ending racial segregation in schools. Each case discussed offers valuable lessons on the division of powers between the federal and state governments, the protection of civil liberties, and the ongoing struggle for civil rights.

Throughout the video, viewers are encouraged to think critically about the judicial process and its implications for American society. By covering cases like Citizens United vs. FEC and McDonald vs. Chicago, LaManna showcases the dynamic nature of the Constitution and how interpretations of its amendments continue to evolve. This serves as a thorough review for students preparing for their exams.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Court Cases The chapter introduces the importance of understanding court cases, especially for the AP exam. It outlines four key elements to know about each Supreme Court case: facts, issue, holding, and reasoning. 'Facts' refer to background information before the case reached the Supreme Court. The 'issue' is the legal or constitutional question being addressed. The 'holding' is the Court's ruling, and 'reasoning' explains the decision behind the holding. Together, these components make up the Court's decision.
• 00:30 - 01:00: McCulloch v. Maryland The chapter discusses the landmark Supreme Court case, McCulloch v. Maryland. It revolves around Congress establishing a National Bank despite the Constitution not explicitly allowing it, leading to backlash from state governments like Maryland, which imposed taxes on the bank. Two critical issues were whether Congress had the authority to create a National Bank and if states could tax the federal government. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Congress could indeed create a National Bank, and states could not tax the federal government, reinforcing federal authority. The Court justified this by citing Congress's implied powers under the necessary and proper clause.
• 01:00 - 01:30: United States v. Lopez The chapter focuses on a legal case, United States v. Lopez, where a high school student in Texas was arrested for bringing an unloaded gun to school, allegedly violating the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. The key issue discussed is whether Congress had the authority to enact this legislation under the Commerce Clause, or if they exceeded their legislative powers. The chapter also touches on the supremacy clause, illustrating the federal government's precedence over state governments in cases of conflict.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Baker v. Carr In the landmark case Baker v. Carr, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of electoral district reapportionment in Tennessee. Tennessee had not redrawn its congressional districts for over 60 years, resulting in districts with significantly unequal populations. This lack of reapportionment was a violation of its state constitution. The complexity of the case lay in its influence on the balance of power between the federal government and the states, as well as its implications for states’ rights and the principle of 'one person, one vote.'
• 02:00 - 02:30: Shaw v. Reno The Supreme Court case 'Shaw v. Reno' addressed the question of whether the federal judiciary has the jurisdiction to rule on apportionment and redistricting cases. The Court held that these issues are justiciable in federal court because they involve non-political questions. Specifically, the majority reasoned that the courts can address cases of unequal apportionment and redistricting plans that may violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, framing it as a constitutional issue.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Marbury v. Madison The chapter discusses the landmark Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Madison, which established the principle of judicial review, enabling the Court to declare a law unconstitutional. This case is fundamental in shaping the balance of power among the branches of government. The transcript, however, mistakenly includes information about voting equality and Congressional districting, which seems to reference cases like Baker v. Carr and Shaw v. Reno. It incorrectly mixes the themes with Marbury v. Madison but significantly highlights the importance of ensuring voting fairness and equality in electoral processes.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Engel v. Vitale In the case of Engel v. Vitale, the issue examined by the court was the legality of racially gerrymandered congressional districts, challenged by state residents in federal courts. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, determined that districts can be contested under the Voting Rights Act if they are formed solely on racial considerations. This decision established that race cannot be the sole factor in defining congressional districts, as it infringes upon the equal protection clause, conflicting with the Constitutional ideal of colorblindness.
• 03:30 - 04:00: Wisconsin v. Yoder The case of Wisconsin v. Yoder explored significant constitutional questions related to the authority and limitations of the U.S. Supreme Court. The scenario began with John Adams making several late-term appointments, some of which were not officially delivered before his presidency ended. When James Madison refused to deliver these commissions, one of the appointees, Marbury, sued to obtain his position. This led to two primary legal inquiries: whether Marbury had a right to his commission and whether the Supreme Court had the power to enforce its delivery. Ultimately, the Court determined that while Marbury was entitled to his commission, the Court itself could not grant this because a portion of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was deemed unconstitutional. This case underscores the complexities of judicial authority and the interpretation of constitutional provisions.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Schenck v. United States The Supreme Court's decision in Schenck v. United States affirmed the power of judicial review, which significantly expanded the Court's authority. The ruling emphasized the supremacy of the Constitution over federal laws, thereby granting the Supreme Court the responsibility to nullify any congressional enactment that violates the Constitution. Subsequent cases, including Engle v. Vital, relate to civil liberties, with issues such as the state of New York's attempt to institute a daily prayer in public schools as a case in point.
• 04:30 - 05:00: Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District In the case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, the Court addressed whether citing a non-denominational prayer in public schools violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. The Court ruled that states cannot endorse or facilitate prayers in public schools, irrespective of whether these prayers are voluntary or non-specific to any religion. This decision resulted in striking down the New York law that permitted such practices. It was reasoned that state-sponsored prayer and religious activities in public schools infringe upon the Establishment Clause, which prohibits Congress from enacting any law respecting the establishment of religion. The Court's decision emphasized the principle that governments must refrain from promoting religion.
• 05:00 - 05:30: New York Times Co. v. United States The case involves a conflict between Wisconsin's law mandating school attendance for children until age 16 and the religious beliefs of Amish families who withdrew their children after 8th grade. Wisconsin fined the families, leading to a legal challenge. The issue was whether this law infringed on the families' constitutional rights by penalizing them for prioritizing religious beliefs over state education mandates. The Court ruled in favor of the Amish families, deciding that Wisconsin could not compel Amish students to attend public school beyond the level aligning with their religious practices.
• 05:30 - 06:00: McDonald v. City of Chicago The chapter discusses legal cases concerning the conflict between individual rights and state policies, focusing on the McDonald v. City of Chicago case. It details the reasoning around the free exercise clause, emphasizing that a person's right to exercise religious beliefs takes precedence over compulsory state-imposed policies like school attendance. Additionally, it touches on a First Amendment free speech case from the World War I era, Schenck v. United States, where Charles Schenck's actions of distributing anti-draft leaflets led to his arrest and conviction under the Espionage Act, showcasing the tension between free speech and national security interests.
• 06:00 - 06:30: Gideon v. Wainwright The chapter discusses the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, focusing on the constitutionality of Shank's conviction under the Espionage Act of 19177. The Supreme Court faced the issue of whether this conviction violated his constitutional rights. Surprisingly, the court unanimously upheld the conviction, citing the Espionage Act as a suitable exercise of Congress's wartime authority. This case demonstrates the court's position that Congress could impose restrictions on speech during wartime that would not be permissible in peacetime. The ruling established the precedent that there can be lawful limitations on freedom of speech based on time, place, and manner during wartime conditions.
• 06:30 - 07:00: Brown v. Board of Education This chapter discusses two landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases that address the First Amendment rights regarding free speech. The first case assessed involves speech restrictions deemed necessary if the speech creates a 'clear and present danger', which was later narrowed to 'time, place, and manner' restrictions. The chapter then transitions to the Vietnam War era and examines 'Tinker v. Des Moines'. In this case, students wore black armbands to protest the war and were suspended. The court had to decide if black armbands were a protected form of political protest under the First Amendment within the school context. The overall theme revolves around the evolving interpretation and application of free speech rights.
• 07:00 - 07:30: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission The chapter discusses the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, focusing on the aspect of student free speech rights. It outlines a salient point where the majority upholds that students indeed have free speech rights at school. The ruling emphasizes that prohibiting students from engaging in political protest, such as wearing armbands, infringes upon these rights. The Court asserts that in order to justify the suppression of speech, schools must demonstrate a substantial interference with discipline and operation. The key takeaway is the Court's confirmation of students' free speech rights within the school environment.
• 07:30 - 08:00: Conclusion and Additional Resources In this chapter, the focus is on a historical legal case similar to the New York Times vs. U.S. case, concerning the Pentagon Papers. In 1971, a massive classified document detailing U.S. involvement in Vietnam was leaked to major newspapers by a whistleblower. The Nixon Administration attempted to prevent these papers from being published, leading to a significant legal battle that escalated to the Supreme Court. The key issue at the heart of the case was whether this action by the Nixon Administration violated the freedom of the press. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that the government could not prohibit the publication of the Pentagon Papers, reinforcing the principle that such censorship was unconstitutional.

Court Case Review | AP Gov | NEW! Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hey everybody welcome back court cases are a huge part of the AP exam so smash that like button to find out exactly what you need to know about all 14 of them for every case you need to know four things facts issues holding and reasoning the facts refers to the background info before it became a Supreme Court case the issue is the legal or constitutional question of the case the holding is the Court's ruling and the reasoning is the Court's explanation of the holding and the decision combines all four of these when
• 00:30 - 01:00 discussing the outcome of the case first up mol versus Maryland Congress established a National Bank even though nothing in the Constitution said they could do so and some state governments didn't like that very much so several of them including Maryland placed a tax on the bank there are two issues in this case can Congress create National Bank and can States Tax the national government a unanimous Supreme Court held that yes Congress can establish a bank and no States cannot tax the federal government it's an overwhelming victory for a stronger federal government the court reasoned that through the necessary and proper clause Congress has implied powers and is not
• 01:00 - 01:30 limited to only its enumerated powers so it can do things that are not specifically listed in the Constitution and it used the supremacy clause to assert that the federal government is superior to state governments when the two conflict so States could not tax the federal next US versus Lopez a high school student in Texas allegedly brought an unloaded gun to school and was arrested for violating the federal gun-free School Zones Act of 1990 the issue before the court was does Congress even have the power to make this law or did they exceed their power to legislate using the Commerce Clause in a five4
• 01:30 - 02:00 ruling the Supreme Court held that the federal gunfree school Zones Act is unconstitutional striking down the law and overturning Lopez's conviction the court reasoned that possession of a gun in a school zone does not substantially affect interstate commerce and the Commerce Clause does not Grant Congress endless power and that some powers are reserved to the states by the 10th Amendment huge dub for States's rights next Baker versus Carr in violation of its state constitution Tennessee didn't reapportion his congressional seats for over 60 years leading to districts of very unequal populations honestly this case is complex so I'm really
• 02:00 - 02:30 simplifying things in this review remember I have videos on every single case so check those out if you need more details on some of them the most direct issue before the court was does the federal Judiciary have jurisdiction to rule on cases about apportionment and redistricting the Court held that apportionment and redistricting challenges are Justus aable in federal court because they raise non-political questions the majority reason that courts can rule on unequal apportionment and redistricting plans that may violate the 14th amendment's equal protection Clause meaning this is a constitutional issue and affirming that the appellants
• 02:30 - 03:00 had the right to sue the Court's ruling in this case led to the one person one vote principle of voting equality in house elections meaning that everybody's vote should have roughly equal power in all districts this means that drawing districts of very unequal populations is unconstitutional Shaw versus Reno is also about how Congressional Maps can and can't be drawn North Carolina State Legislature created a bizarrely shaped District specifically to increase black voter representation in Congress they did this to comply with the section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which banned racial discrimination in voting
• 03:00 - 03:30 policies the issue before the court was can State residents challenge in federal courts racially gerrymandered congressional districts in a contentious 5-4 ruling the Court held that districts created under the Voting Rights Act may be constitutionally challenged by voters if race is the only factor used in creating the district practically speaking this meant that congressional districts can no longer be drawn based only on Race the court reason that drawing a congressional district based only on Race violated the equal protection clause and opposes the colorblind ideal of the Constitution which would basically prohibit racial distinctions next up Marb versus Madison
• 03:30 - 04:00 this case is hugely important but the facts and issues can be a little bit confusing so don't stress it too much John Adams made a bunch of appointments at the end of his term a few of them didn't officially receive their appointment before he left office and James Madison refused to deliver them so Marberry sued to get his job the issue before the court was does Marberry have a right to his commission but more importantly it morphed into does the Supreme Court have the authority to order the delivery of the commission the Court held that Marberry was entitled to his commission but the court couldn't Grant it because part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional with
• 04:00 - 04:30 this decision the Supreme Court gave itself the power of judicial review tremendously expanding its power the court reasoned that based on the supremacy clause the Constitution is superior to federal laws so if Congress passes a law that is contrary to the Constitution it's the Supreme Court's job to uphold the Constitution by striking down the unconstitutional law the next seven cases deal directly with civil liberties beginning with Engle versus vital the state of New York passed a law that public schools would begin the day by encouraging students toight of prayer the the issue for the
• 04:30 - 05:00 court was does your citing a non-denominational prayer in public schools violate the first amendment's Establishment Clause the Court held that states cannot hold prayers in public schools even if prayers are voluntary or not specific to a certain religion so they struck down the New York law the court reasoned that state sponsored prayer and religious activities in public schools violates the first amendment's Establishment Clause that says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion the court decided that this also prevents governments from promoting religion our next case also deals with religion Wisconsin University odor
• 05:00 - 05:30 Wisconsin had a law that required all children to attend public schools until the age of 16 three Amish students stopped attending public school at the end of the 8th grade and the parents were fined by the state for violating the law the Amish families argued that High School promoted values contrary to their religious beliefs the issue before the court was did Wisconsin's mandatory School attendance policy violate the constitution by punishing families who didn't want to send their children to school for religious reasons the Court ruled in favor of the Amish families holding that Wisconsin may not force Amish students to attend public school Beyond a grade but why the Court's
• 05:30 - 06:00 reasoning is focused on the free exercise clause while the state has a legitimate interest in promoting compulsory School attendance when it comes into conflict with a person's religious beliefs and practices the person's right to freely exercise those religious beliefs is more important than the state policy of mandatory School attendance next up a pair of free speech cases with opposite outcomes first a World War I era case shank versus US opposed to the war Charles shank distributed leaflets urging men not to participate in the military draft for doing so shank was arrested and convicted for violating the Espionage
• 06:00 - 06:30 Act of 19177 which made it illegal to obstruct military recruitment the issue before the court was the seemingly simple question did shank's conviction under the Espionage Act violate his constitutional rights perhaps surprisingly the court unanimously upheld his conviction holding that the Espionage Act was in fact an appropriate exercise of congress's wartime Authority the court is basically making an exception because of the war allowing Congress to restrict speech that it wouldn't normally be allowed to restrict the lasting impact of this case is that there may be time place and manner
• 06:30 - 07:00 restrictions to speech the court reasoned that speech creating a clear and present danger was not protected by the first amendment's free speech protections and therefore could be restricted the court no longer uses the clear and present danger test but it does still allow for time place and manner restrictions on speech our next case is 50 years later during the Vietnam war Tinker versus De Moine a group of students decided to wear black armbands to protest the war and call for a truce School administration didn't like that and so three of them were suspended for refusing to remove their armbands the issue for the court was whether schools prohibited black armbands as a form of political protest
• 07:00 - 07:30 violates the students Free Speech rights the majority H that students do in fact have free speech at school and prohibiting students from wearing armbands as a political protest violates their free speech rights they reason that students First Amendment right of political symbolic speech overr school officials concern for potential disorder to justify suppressing speech the school must prove that it would substantially interfere with the discipline and operation of the school but make no mistake the key takeaway is that the Court definitively established that students have Free Speech rights at
• 07:30 - 08:00 school next New York Times versus us another Vietnam erir case has a similar vibe in 1971 a man leaked 7,000 pages of a classified document known as the Pentagon papers a massive report on us involvement in Vietnam to the New York Times and Washington Post and the newspapers began publishing reports on the document the Nixon Administration sued to block the publication of the papers the issue for the Supreme Court was did the Nixon administrations attempt to block publication of classified information violate freedom of the press the Supreme Court ruled that government did not have the right to block publication of the pen on papers to justify blocking the
• 08:00 - 08:30 publication the government would have needed to show that publishing the papers would have caused grave and irreparable damage not surprisingly the Court's reasoning is centered around the freedom of the press as a result of that freedom there is a heavy presumption against the Constitutional validity of governmental claims of prior restraint and this is true even in cases involving National Security in simple terms this means that it's extremely difficult for the government to justify censorship even in National Security issues from National Security let's talk about guns and McDonald versus Chicago the city of Chicago created an effective handgun ban
• 08:30 - 09:00 by requiring residents to have a license for handguns and then denying all license applications the issue was does the second amendments right to bear arms applied to the states through the 14th Amendment therefore preventing this kind of gun ban from being implemented by States and local governments in a bitterly divided five4 ruling the Court held that the second amendment's right to bear arms for the purpose of self-defense applies to the states striking down the Chicago handgun ban the reasoning is that the Second Amendment establishes an individual right to bear arms and through the 14th amendments due process clause it was made binding on the states thus
• 09:00 - 09:30 weakening state and local governments that could no longer violate a person's second amendment rights next up everybody's favorite Flor man Gideon versus way wri Gideon allegedly broke into a pool hall and sold some money there wasn't a whole lot of evidence but he was arrested when he appeared in court Gideon who is homeless asked the state to provide him with an attorney since he couldn't afford one however the judge denied his request insisting that in Florida the state only had to provide an attorney in capital cases not surprisingly Gideon was found guilty the issue before the court was whether the sixth amendment's right to counsel or an
• 09:30 - 10:00 attorney applies to felony defendants in state courts a unanimous Supreme Court held that states must provide attorneys for defendants who can't afford one incorporating the right to an attorney the Court's reasoning in Gideon means that the sixth amendment's right to legal council applies to defendants in state trials through the 14th amendment's due process clause next up the alltime goat civil rights case Brown versus Board of Education black students in several states were denied admittance to certain Public Schools based on race in this Landmark case a unanimous Court
• 10:00 - 10:30 held that racial segregation of Public Schools allowed by the separate but equal principle of py versus Ferguson was unconstitutional the court reason that racially segregated schools violate the 14th amendment's equal protection Clause the court ordered the desegregation of public schools however one of the unfortunate leges of this case is that it shows the weakness of the Court as a policy maker many states refus to desegregate their public schools and some places even Clos their schools all together rather than follow the Court's order okay and finally Citizens United versus FEC this one gets complicated but at its route is the 2002
• 10:30 - 11:00 bipartisan campaign Reform Act better known as bikra bikra made several changes to campaign Finance laws including Banning corporations and unions from an independent political spending in the weeks before an election the FEC said that a conservative group called citizens united violated the law so citizens united sued there were several issues before the court we'll focus on two can political speech of Corporations labor unions and associations be banned and can direct contributions by corporations labor unions and associations be banned in an extremely cont is 54 ruling the Court
• 11:00 - 11:30 held that corporate and Union funding of independent political expenditures cannot be limited on the other hand the court upheld bicker ban on corporate direct contributions to candidates so let's be clear corporations unions and associations can raise and spend unlimited money on independent political speech but they may not give any money directly to candidates the Court's reasoning was that based on the first amendment's free speech Clause corporations have the right to engage in political speech just like individual people and there you have it everything you need to know about the required cases smash that like button if you're
• 11:30 - 12:00 watching this right before the AP exam and until next time this has been a money production thanks again for watching I truly appreciate you so much if you're stressing about the exam or your class you might be interested in checking out the ultimate review packet three practice exams tons of multiple choice f frqs plus incredible study guides you got this and I will see you in the next video