Supreme Court Cases Concerning Constitutional Civil Liberties
Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, thesis, several paragraphs
addressing the task below, and a conclusion.
Theme: Supreme Court Cases Concerning Constitutional Civil Liberties
The United States Supreme Court has played a major role in either expanding or limiting
constitutional civil liberties in the United States.
Task:
Identify two Supreme Court cases that have had an impact on civil liberties in the United States.
For each case identified:
• Discuss the facts of the case
• Identify a specific constitutional civil liberty issue addressed by the Supreme Court
• Discuss how the decision of the Supreme Court either expanded or limited a specific
constitutional civil liberty in the United States
Guidelines:
In your essay, be sure to:
• Address all aspects of the Task
• Support the theme with relevant facts, examples and details
• Use a logical and clear plan of organization
• Introduce the theme by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the
Task and conclude with a summation of the theme
You may use any appropriate Supreme Court case from your study of United States history.
Some suggestions you might wish to consider include: You are not limited to these
suggestions.
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) – State taxes, National Supremacy
Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819) Corporations, Contracts
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) – States rights, Commerce Clause
Worcester v. Georgia (1832) – Cherokee removal
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) – Slavery, Due process, Missouri Compromise
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – Separate but equal
Standard Oil v. U.S. (1911) – Anti-Trusts
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) – Students Pledge of Allegiance
Korematsu v. United States (1944) – Japanese Internment, Equal protection
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – School segregation, Equal protection
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)- Exclusionary rule, Due process
Engel v. Vitale (1962) – School Prayer
Baker v. Carr (1962) - Congressional Reapportionment
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)- Right to counsel, Due process
Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) – Congressional Redistricting
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)- Self incrimination, Due process
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) – Birth Control
Loving v. Virginia (1967) – Interracial marriage
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) - Student Speech, Symbolic speech
New York Times v. United States (1971) – Pentagon Papers, First Amendment
Furman v. Georgia (1972) – Death Penalty
Roe v. Wade (1973) – Abortion, right to privacy
United States v. Nixon (1974) - Executive privilege/Watergate/Check and Balances
Regents of CA v. Bakke (1978) – Affirmative action, Equal protection
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1983) – Student press rights
New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) – Student search and seizure rights
Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser (1986) – Student Speech, Obscene language
Texas v. Johnson (1989) – Flag burning, Freedom of speech
Bush v. Gore (2000) – 2000 Election, Equal protection clause
Board of Education of Independent School District #92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls (2002) - Random
drug tests of students
Roper v. Simmons (2005) – Juvenile Death Penalty
Kelo v. New London, Connecticut (2005) – Eminent Domain, Property seizure
Gonzales v. Raich (2005) – Marijuana Laws
Morse v. Frederick (2007) – Student Speech in Schools
Gonzales v. Carhart (2007) – Partial Birth Abortion
Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008) – Death Penalty (sexual assault)
Boumediene v. Bush (2008) - Terrorism suspects - Guantánamo Bay
Ricci v. DeStefano - New Haven (2009) – Equal Protection
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, (2010) – First Amendment, Corporations
McDonald v. Chicago (2010) – Second Amendment