All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Identify the case that established the principle of 'one person, one vote'.
Answer: Baker v. Carr (1962). Required equal population in legislative districts for fair representation.
Flashcard 2: What is a majority opinion?
Answer: A judicial opinion agreed to by more than half of the court. Establishes binding precedent and court's official reasoning.
Flashcard 3: What is a dissenting opinion?
Answer: An opinion disagreeing with the majority in a court ruling. Expresses disagreement and alternative legal reasoning.
Flashcard 4: What is a concurring opinion?
Answer: An opinion that agrees with the majority outcome but for different reasons. Agrees with result but offers different legal rationale.
Flashcard 5: Identify the principle upheld in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963).
Answer: Right to counsel for defendants unable to afford an attorney. Guaranteed under Sixth Amendment for all criminal defendants.
Flashcard 6: Which case established the principle of judicial review?
Answer: Marbury v. Madison (1803). Marshall's decision created judicial review precedent in 1803.
Flashcard 7: Identify the primary function of the Supreme Court.
Answer: To interpret the Constitution and ensure laws comply with it. Final constitutional interpreter and guardian of federal law.
Flashcard 8: What is the 'rule of four' in the Supreme Court?
Answer: Four justices must agree to grant a writ of certiorari. Minimum votes needed to review a case on appeal.
Flashcard 9: What type of cases does the Supreme Court typically hear?
Answer: Cases involving constitutional or federal law issues. Focuses on significant legal questions and constitutional matters.
Flashcard 10: What is the significance of the case Roe v. Wade (1973)?
Answer: Legalized abortion nationwide under the right to privacy. Based decision on Fourteenth Amendment privacy rights.
Flashcard 11: What is the role of the Solicitor General?
Answer: Represents the federal government before the Supreme Court. Chief advocate for federal government in Supreme Court cases.
Flashcard 12: Identify the case that reinforced the principle of federal supremacy.
Answer: McCulloch v. Maryland (1819). Established federal law supremacy over conflicting state laws.
Flashcard 13: Which case is known for establishing the exclusionary rule?
Answer: Mapp v. Ohio (1961). Illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in court proceedings.
Flashcard 14: Identify the case that dealt with the internment of Japanese Americans.
Answer: Korematsu v. United States (1944). Upheld wartime internment based on military necessity claims.
Flashcard 15: What is the significance of the case United States v. Nixon (1974)?
Answer: Limited presidential power through the rejection of absolute executive privilege. Executive privilege exists but is not absolute or unlimited.
Flashcard 16: What does the term 'judicial activism' imply?
Answer: Judges making decisions based on personal views or policy considerations. Courts actively interpret law to promote social change.
Flashcard 17: Identify the case that established the principle of freedom of speech in schools.
Answer: Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). Students retain constitutional rights in public school settings.
Flashcard 18: What is the significance of the case Loving v. Virginia (1967)?
Answer: Struck down laws banning interracial marriage. Marriage is fundamental right regardless of racial differences.
Flashcard 19: What does the term 'judicial restraint' imply?
Answer: Judges limiting their power by deferring to elected branches and precedent. Courts avoid policy-making and defer to legislative intent.
Flashcard 20: Identify the case that addressed affirmative action in university admissions.
Answer: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978). Race can be factor but not sole basis for admissions.
Flashcard 21: What is the significance of the case Bush v. Gore (2000)?
Answer: Resolved the 2000 presidential election dispute. Stopped Florida recount and effectively decided presidential election.
Flashcard 22: Identify the case that reinforced the right to counsel during police interrogations.
Answer: Miranda v. Arizona (1966). Required police to inform suspects of their constitutional rights.
Flashcard 23: What is the role of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
Answer: Presides over court sessions, administers oaths, leads the federal judiciary. Senior justice with additional administrative and ceremonial duties.
Flashcard 24: Which case established the principle of 'separate but equal'?
Answer: Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). Upheld racial segregation for nearly 60 years until Brown.
Flashcard 25: What is the 'rule of four' in the Supreme Court?
Answer: Four justices must agree to grant a writ of certiorari. Minimum votes needed to review a case on appeal.
Flashcard 26: Which branch of government does the Supreme Court belong to?
Answer: The Judicial Branch. One of three co-equal branches under separation of powers.
Flashcard 27: What is a writ of certiorari?
Answer: An order by which a higher court reviews a lower court's decision. Latin for 'to be informed'; grants discretionary review.
Flashcard 28: What is a dissenting opinion?
Answer: An opinion disagreeing with the majority in a court ruling. Expresses disagreement and alternative legal reasoning.
Flashcard 29: Which amendment is often cited in cases involving search and seizure?
Answer: The Fourth Amendment. Protects against unreasonable searches and requires warrants.
Flashcard 30: What is the significance of the case Miranda v. Arizona (1966)?
Answer: Established the requirement of Miranda warnings for detained suspects. Protects Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.