Civic Literacy Exam Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 2

Question 1

What was the significance of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?

Accepted Answer

It established the supremacy of federal law over state law and upheld Congress's implied powers

Answer

In McCulloch v. Maryland, Chief Justice John Marshall upheld Congress's power to create a national bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause (implied powers) and ruled that Maryland could not tax the federal bank, affirming federal supremacy.

Question 2

What constitutional issue was at the center of Roe v. Wade (1973)?

Accepted Answer

Whether the Constitution protects a woman's right to abortion as part of a broader right to privacy

Answer

In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the Constitution's implied right to privacy, derived from the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause, protected a woman's decision to terminate a pregnancy.

Question 3

What did the Supreme Court decide in United States v. Nixon (1974)?

Accepted Answer

Executive privilege is not absolute and cannot shield presidential records from a criminal investigation

Answer

In United States v. Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that President Nixon had to comply with a subpoena for White House tape recordings, finding that executive privilege does not extend to shielding evidence in a criminal prosecution.

Question 4

What did the Supreme Court rule in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)?

Accepted Answer

Same-sex couples have a fundamental constitutional right to marry under the 14th Amendment

Answer

In Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment, requiring all states to issue and recognize same-sex marriage licenses.

Question 5

What constitutional principle was established in Mapp v. Ohio (1961)?

Accepted Answer

Evidence obtained through unconstitutional searches must be excluded from state criminal trials (exclusionary rule)

Answer

In Mapp v. Ohio, the Supreme Court applied the exclusionary rule to state courts, requiring that evidence obtained in violation of the 4th Amendment's prohibition on unreasonable searches cannot be used in state criminal trials.

Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

Civic Literacy Exam Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 2