Test your basic knowledge |

Important Court Cases

Subject : law
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Made the CRA 1964 apply to virtually all businesses






2. Race cannot be sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative district boundaries (1982 VRA wants them to do that - though)






3. Race-based affirmative action was permissible so long as it was in the service of creating greater diversity






4. School district can suspend students for lewd or indecent speech






5. Mandated 21-year-old drinking age (if you don't feds will take away all federal highway funds






6. 'Bad Tendency Doctrine -' speech restricted if it has tendency to lead to illegal actions; selectively incorporated freedom of speech to states






7. Fed can limit speech that doesn't lead to action (upholding Smith Act - which made it a crime to support any communist organization)






8. Separate but equal for races






9. Executive efforts to prevent publication forbidden (Ellsburg & Vietnam)






10. Cities could legitimately require parade permits in the interest of pubic order (Jehovah's Witnesses march w/out permit)






11. Federal courts = final authority on creation of house districts






12. Ordered house districts to be near as equal as possible - enshrined principal of 'one man - one vote.'






13. Citizens of Japanese descent could be interned and deprived of basic constitutional rights due to executive order






14. Threw out undergraduate system of selection - generally upheld Bakke






15. States cannot set term limits on members of congress






16. Gave states more power to regulate abortion






17. Cross burning = 'fighting words' = unconstitutional






18. Commerce clause of the constitution does not give congress the power to regulate guns near state operated schools






19. No such thing as executive privilege in criminal cases - but definitely at other times






20. Fighting words - certain offensive types of speech prohibited






21. Overruled Powell - state govs do not have to provide lawyers to indigent defendants in capital cases






22. Giving money to political campaign = free speech - so wealthy people can now spend as much of their own money as they want if they choose to run for federal office






23. Established national abortion guidelines by extending inferred right of privacy from Griswold






24. Prohibited state-sponsored recitation of prayer in public schools






25. NC makes mandatory punishment for certain crimes - deemed unconstitutional






26. Clear and present danger (yelling fire) - Holmes






27. Confessions given immediately before rights are given means the confession is still admissible






28. All state governments must provide an attorney in all cases for those who can't afford one - powerful repudiation of Betts v Brady






29. NY could not grant steamship company monopoly - increased federal power over interstate commerce






30. Forbids execution of defendants who are mentally retarded






31. States did not have power to tax the national bank - reinforces supremacy clause






32. Students don't 'shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse door -' Iowa students suspended for wearing armbands to protest Vietnam war






33. Strikes by labor unions are constitutional






34. Secular rather than religious purpose? neither promote nor discourage religion? avoid 'excessive entanglement?'






35. Separate is not equal






36. Established judicial review






37. Protesters have substantially fewer assembly rights in malls and other private establishments






38. Helped states to engage in eminent domain - said that fifth amendment right to take private property for public use is legal for states without eminent domain






39. Established exclusionary rule






40. State prohibition of consensual sodomy in private is unreasonable invasion of privacy






41. Banned presidential use of a line=item veto as a violation of legislative powers.






42. Libel and obscenity not protected by first amendment - so three-part obscenity test established






43. Halt to all death penalty punishments in nation until a less arbitrary method of sentencing was found






44. You can burn the flag






45. Forbids state-mandated bible reading






46. First time court overturned state law on constitutional grounds.






47. States not allowed to prevent or punish inflammatory speech unless it will lead to imminent lawless action






48. Invalidated 1989 Flag Protection Act






49. Right to privacy






50. Demonstrations near schools that disrupted classes could be legally banned