FCLE Landmark Supreme Court Cases 5

Question 1

Which landmark case held that the Bill of Rights applies to state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment?

Accepted Answer

Gitlow v. New York

Answer

Gitlow v. New York (1925) was the first case to incorporate a Bill of Rights provision (free speech) against the states via the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Question 2

In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws by finding that they violated:

Accepted Answer

The Fourteenth Amendment's liberty interest in private consensual conduct

Answer

The Court overruled Bowers v. Hardwick and held that consensual intimate conduct between adults is protected by the liberty interest in the Due Process Clause.

Question 3

What did the Supreme Court establish in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)?

Accepted Answer

Race-based quotas in university admissions are unconstitutional, but race may be a factor

Answer

Justice Powell's controlling opinion struck down rigid racial quotas but permitted race to be considered as one factor among many in holistic admissions decisions.

Question 4

The Supreme Court addressed the rights of enemy combatants in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004), ruling that:

Accepted Answer

Citizens held as enemy combatants must be given a meaningful opportunity to contest their detention

Answer

The Court held that a U.S. citizen designated an enemy combatant must receive notice of the factual basis for classification and a fair opportunity to rebut the government's assertions.

Question 5

In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court invalidated a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 because:

Accepted Answer

The coverage formula used to determine which jurisdictions needed federal approval was outdated

Answer

The Court held that the formula in Section 4(b) determining which states must obtain federal 'preclearance' before changing voting laws was based on decades-old data and was unconstitutional.

FCLE - Florida Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

FCLE - Florida Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

FCLE Landmark Supreme Court Cases 5