FCLE Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Supreme Court case established the principle of 'one person, one vote' in legislative apportionment?
- Baker v. Carr (1962)
- Reynolds v. Sims (1964)
- Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)
- Both B and C (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both B and C
Reynolds v. Sims applied the equal population principle to state legislatures, while Wesberry v. Sanders applied it to U.S. House districts.
Question 2: In Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988), the Supreme Court held that school administrators may:
- Never censor student speech
- Censor school-sponsored publications for legitimate educational reasons (Correct answer)
- Punish students for off-campus political speech
- Remove books from school libraries based on content
Correct answer: Censor school-sponsored publications for legitimate educational reasons
The Court ruled that school officials have broad authority over school-sponsored expressive activities like student newspapers as long as their actions are reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.
Question 3: The Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia (1972) effectively halted the death penalty in the United States by ruling that its application was:
- Inherently unconstitutional under any circumstances
- Arbitrary and capricious, constituting cruel and unusual punishment (Correct answer)
- Only valid for treason and murder
- A decision belonging exclusively to state legislatures
Correct answer: Arbitrary and capricious, constituting cruel and unusual punishment
The Court's fractured 5-4 ruling found that the arbitrary way states applied the death penalty violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Question 4: What was the significance of Korematsu v. United States (1944)?
- It struck down Japanese American internment as unconstitutional
- It upheld Japanese American internment, applying the first 'strict scrutiny' standard to racial classifications (Correct answer)
- It required compensation for Japanese Americans who were interned
- It prohibited racial profiling by federal agencies
Correct answer: It upheld Japanese American internment, applying the first 'strict scrutiny' standard to racial classifications
Although the Court upheld internment, it introduced the strict scrutiny standard for racial classifications — a standard later used to strike down racial discrimination.
Question 5: In Citizens United v. FEC (2010), the Supreme Court held that political spending by corporations and unions is:
- Prohibited during federal election campaigns
- A form of protected free speech under the First Amendment (Correct answer)
- Limited by campaign finance disclosure requirements
- Subject to the same caps as individual donations
Correct answer: A form of protected free speech under the First Amendment
The Court ruled 5-4 that restricting independent political expenditures by corporations, unions, and other associations violates the First Amendment.
Question 6: Which Supreme Court case established that suspects in police custody must be informed of their rights before interrogation?
- Gideon v. Wainwright
- Escobedo v. Illinois
- Miranda v. Arizona (1966) (Correct answer)
- Berkemer v. McCarty
Correct answer: Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Miranda v. Arizona required police to inform suspects of their right to remain silent and their right to an attorney before custodial interrogation.
Question 7: The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) is best known for establishing the doctrine of:
- Separate but equal facilities for different races (Correct answer)
- Equal protection for all citizens regardless of race
- Federal authority over state civil rights laws
- The constitutionality of affirmative action
Correct answer: Separate but equal facilities for different races
Plessy upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine, which was later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
FCLE Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 5
Which Supreme Court case established the principle of 'one person, one vote' in legislative apportionment?