Supreme Court Case Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Which conclusion was part of the Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)?
Black people of African descent could not be U.S. citizens under the Court's interpretation, and Congress could not ban slavery in the territories.
Congress could prohibit slavery in every federal territory under the Commerce Clause.
States were required to grant citizenship to every person born within their borders.
Enslaved people became free whenever they entered a free territory.
2. What principle is most closely associated with Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
States may disregard federal laws they consider unconstitutional.
Congress may regulate any activity occurring within a state.
Federal courts may review laws and invalidate those that conflict with the Constitution.
The president may remove federal judges for political disagreement.
3. A public school directs students to recite a short prayer written by state officials, while allowing students to remain silent. Which case most directly found this type of government-sponsored prayer unconstitutional?
Brown v. Board of Education
Engel v. Vitale
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
Loving v. Virginia
4. State police obtain evidence through an unreasonable search, and prosecutors want to use it at trial. Which case applied the exclusionary rule to the states?
Miranda v. Arizona
Gideon v. Wainwright
Mapp v. Ohio
Tinker v. Des Moines
5. Police take a suspect into custody and plan to question them about a crime. Under Miranda v. Arizona, what must generally happen before custodial interrogation begins?
A grand jury must first issue an indictment.
A judge must be present during the questioning.
The suspect must submit a written request for an attorney.
The suspect must be informed of specified rights, including the rights to remain silent and to an attorney.
6. A public official sues a newspaper for publishing a false statement about official conduct. Under New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, what must the official generally prove to recover damages for defamation?
The statement caused embarrassment, regardless of how carefully it was published.
The publisher knew the statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for whether it was false.
The newspaper failed to obtain the official's approval before publication.
The statement concerned a controversial issue of public importance.
7. Which statement best describes the ruling in Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)?
States have exclusive authority over all commercial transportation within their borders.
The president may regulate interstate trade without authorization from Congress.
Congressional power over interstate commerce includes interstate navigation.
Federal commerce power applies only when goods cross an international border.
8. During a criminal investigation, a president claims an absolute right to withhold subpoenaed recordings based on a generalized assertion of executive privilege. What did United States v. Nixon establish?
Congress must approve every subpoena directed at a president.
A president does not possess an absolute, unqualified privilege that automatically defeats the judicial process in a criminal case.
Presidential recordings can never be requested by a court.
Executive privilege applies only after a president leaves office.
9. What did the Court conclude in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
Congress had implied power to create a national bank, and Maryland could not tax it.
Only powers expressly listed in the Constitution may be exercised by Congress.
States could charter national institutions without congressional approval.
The federal government could tax state governments without constitutional limits.
10. During a labor dispute, a president orders the federal government to seize privately owned steel mills without specific statutory authorization. Which case held that the president lacked authority for such a seizure?
McCulloch v. Maryland
Marbury v. Madison
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer
Gibbons v. Ogden
11. A motel serving interstate travelers refuses rooms to Black guests and challenges a federal civil rights law. Which decision upheld Congress's authority to prohibit that discrimination under the Commerce Clause?
Plessy v. Ferguson
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Brown v. Board of Education
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States
12. A state law makes marriage between people classified as belonging to different races a crime. Which Supreme Court decision invalidated such laws?
Tinker v. Des Moines
Loving v. Virginia
Gideon v. Wainwright
Mapp v. Ohio
13. Students peacefully wear black armbands to protest a war, and the school cannot show that the protest substantially disrupts school activities. Which ruling most strongly supports the students?
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States
Engel v. Vitale
Gideon v. Wainwright
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
14. A state requires children to attend racially segregated public schools. Which landmark case most directly held that this arrangement violates the Equal Protection Clause?
Brown v. Board of Education
Plessy v. Ferguson
Gibbons v. Ogden
Engel v. Vitale
15. What constitutional doctrine did Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) accept before Brown v. Board of Education rejected it in public schooling?
Racial separation was permissible if supposedly equal facilities were provided.
Any law mentioning race was automatically unconstitutional.
Public facilities had to be integrated, but private businesses could be segregated.
The federal government alone could establish public schools.
16. A defendant charged with a serious state felony cannot afford an attorney. Which case established the constitutional right most directly relevant to this situation?
Mapp v. Ohio
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
United States v. Nixon
Gideon v. Wainwright