Civic Literacy Exam Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 3

Question 1

What did the Supreme Court decide in Engel v. Vitale (1962)?

Accepted Answer

School-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment

Answer

In Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court ruled that school officials composing and leading students in a state-sponsored prayer violated the Establishment Clause, even if the prayer was non-denominational and voluntary.

Question 2

What constitutional right was at issue in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)?

Accepted Answer

The right to marital privacy, specifically access to contraception, found in 'penumbras' of the Bill of Rights

Answer

In Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court struck down a Connecticut law banning contraceptive use by married couples, finding a constitutional right to marital privacy in the 'penumbras and emanations' of multiple Bill of Rights provisions.

Question 3

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in Bush v. Gore (2000)?

Accepted Answer

The Florida Supreme Court's recount order violated the Equal Protection Clause, and there was no time for a constitutionally adequate recount

Answer

In Bush v. Gore, the Supreme Court stopped the Florida recount, holding 5-4 that the lack of uniform standards for counting votes violated the Equal Protection Clause, and 7-2 that there was no time to establish proper standards before the federal deadline.

Question 4

What was the significance of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) for students' rights?

Accepted Answer

Students do not 'shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate' and may engage in non-disruptive symbolic speech

Answer

In Tinker v. Des Moines, the Supreme Court ruled that students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War was protected symbolic speech under the First Amendment, establishing that students retain constitutional rights in school.

Question 5

What did Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) decide?

Accepted Answer

Corporations and other associations have First Amendment rights to spend money on political speech, and limits on independent political expenditures are unconstitutional

Answer

In Citizens United, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations, associations, and labor unions.

Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

Civic Literacy Exam Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 3