Landmark Court Cases
All 14 required AP Gov SCOTUS cases
11 sections remaining in the Summer Assignment
Each case includes constitutional clause, facts, holding, paired case, memory tricks, AP exam connections, an FRQ writing prompt, and a Quick Check quiz. Roe v. Wade (1973) was overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson (2022) and is no longer on the AP exam.
Score 3/3 on every case quiz to complete the quest.
Marbury v. Madison
Article III / Judicial Review
Established judicial review — the Supreme Court's power to declare laws unconstitutional.
McCulloch v. Maryland
Necessary & Proper / Supremacy Clause
Upheld implied powers of Congress and federal supremacy over states.
Schenck v. United States
First Amendment (Speech)
Established 'clear and present danger' test for limiting free speech.
Brown v. Board of Education
14th Amendment (Equal Protection)
Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
Baker v. Carr
14th Amendment (Equal Protection)
Established federal court jurisdiction over apportionment; led to 'one person, one vote.'
Engel v. Vitale
First Amendment (Establishment)
Prohibited state-sponsored prayer in public schools.
Gideon v. Wainwright
6th Amendment (Right to Counsel)
Guaranteed right to counsel for all felony criminal defendants in state courts.
Tinker v. Des Moines
First Amendment (Symbolic Speech)
Protected student free speech — substantial disruption test.
New York Times v. United States
First Amendment (Press / Prior Restraint)
Ruled prior restraint of the press is presumptively unconstitutional.
Wisconsin v. Yoder
First Amendment (Free Exercise)
Religious freedom can override compulsory education laws — Free Exercise Clause.
Shaw v. Reno
14th Amendment (Equal Protection)
Racial gerrymandering is subject to strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause.
United States v. Lopez
Article I (Commerce Clause)
First ruling in 60 years limiting Congress's Commerce Clause power.
McDonald v. Chicago
2nd Amendment / 14th Amendment
Incorporated the Second Amendment to the states via selective incorporation.
Citizens United v. FEC
First Amendment (Political Speech)
Corporations and groups have First Amendment rights for independent political expenditures.
SCOTUS FRQ Format (Know This Cold)
Every SCOTUS FRQ on the AP exam follows the same structure:
Part A
Constitutional clause or principle the case addresses
Part B1
Facts of the case — what happened, who sued whom
Part B2
Holding/Decision — what the Court ruled and why