Supreme Court Cases for AP^® Government and Politics

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Baker v. Carr

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Baker v. Carr address issues of legislative apportionment and representation, and in advancing the principle of 'one person, one vote'?

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5:27

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Brown v. Board of Education

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education challenge the principle of 'separate but equal,' and what were the broader implications on the civil rights movement?

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5:16

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Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission alter the landscape of campaign finance, and what are the implications of this ruling for the influence of corporate and union spending in political campaigns?

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6:02

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Dred Scott v. Sandford

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford impact the status of enslaved people and free African Americans in pre-Civil War America and what role did it play in exacerbating the issues that would lead to the Civil War itself?

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4:55

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Engel v. Vitale

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Engel v. Vitale address the issue of government involvement in religious activities in public schools, and what impact did this have on the interpretation of the Establishment Clause?

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4:28

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Gideon v. Wainwright

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Gideon v. Wainwright transform the right to legal representation for defendants in criminal cases, and become a landmark case for the assurance of fair trials in America?

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5:36

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Marbury v. Madison

What was the significance of the Marbury court's creation of judicial review and how did it impact the balance of power in our government?

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5:20

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McCulloch v. Maryland

In what ways did the Supreme Court in McCulloch v. Maryland use constitutional interpretation to expand the power of the federal government?

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5:06

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McDonald v. Chicago

How did the Supreme Court's decision in McDonald v. Chicago extend the Second Amendment protections to state and local governments and on what basis did it do so?

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4:16

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New York Times v. United States

How did the Supreme Court's decision in New York Times Company v. United States address the conflict between the interests of national security and freedom of the press and to what extent did it place limits of government censorship?

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6:08

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Plessy v. Ferguson

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson establish the doctrine of “separate but equal,” and what were its long-term effects on racial segregation and civil rights in the United States?

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4:41

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Schenck v. United States

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Schenck v. The United States shape our understanding of free speech in relation to national security?

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4:37

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Shaw v. Reno

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Shaw v. Reno address the issue of racial gerrymandering, and what criteria did the Court use to determine whether a congressional district map violated the Equal Protection Clause?

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4:30

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Tinker v. Des Moines

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District balance students' First Amendment rights with the need for maintaining order in public schools, and what impact has this had on student self-expression?

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3:48

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United States v. Lopez

How did the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Lopez redefine the scope of Congress's power under the Commerce Clause, and what are the implications of this decision on federalism and the division of power between the state and federal governments?

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4:52

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Wisconsin v. Yoder

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Wisconsin v. Yoder balance the state's interest in compulsory education with the religious freedoms of the Amish community in America?

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