Unit VII: The Courts Review p.s. Know your cases & amendments!

List the Big 4 Freedoms guaranteed by the 1 st Amendment. The First Amendment includes two clauses relating to the freedom of religion. What are they? Identify one case brought to the Supreme Court under the Establishment Clause. How did the Court rule in that case?

When might you need your Fifth Amendment rights? Explain the significance of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Reed v. Reed. Where do we find the concept of equality in the founding documents of the United States?

Identify 3 important functions of the Supreme Court. If you could only keep one law, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, or the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which would it be? Explain. What’s the doctrine of political questions?

What are the 3 standards of review used by the Supreme Court in discrimination cases? In deciding to incorporate the Bill of Rights into state laws, which portion of the Constitution did the Supreme Court rely on? Identify one of the Supreme Court’s Most Embarrassing Moments and explain its significance in US history and politics.

Explain the jurisprudence of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14 th Amendment. What’s the difference between libel and slander and what did New York Times v. Sullivan have to say about this topic? Bonus Latin: writ of certiorari, writ of habeas corpus, stare decisis, per curiam or amicus curiae – pick 3 and define.

Give an example of a situation where you might want the Exclusionary Rule to protect you. Which case extended this rule to states? 13 th, 14 th & 15 th Amendments – what’s the deal? If you were on the Supreme Court would you be in favor of Judicial Activism or Judicial Restraint? Explain.

19th Amendment, 23 rd Amendment, 24 th Amendment & ERA – what’s the deal? What are your 4 th Amendment protections? Give an example of Probable Cause. Who needs it and for what? Give 3 examples of restrictions on Freedom of Speech that have been upheld by the Supreme Court.

Written opinions by the Supreme Court come in 3 different varieties. What are they and which is the most important? What’s the difference between criminal law and civil law? Class Action Law Suits & Standing to Sue – how do these terms relate to each other?

If you were on the Supreme Court would you be in favor of an Original Intent (Strict Constructionism) or a “Living Document” view of the Constitution? Explain. If you are a reporter in a state with a shield law, what happens to you if you refuse to reveal your confidential source in court? What are your 8 th Amendment protections?

Explain the controversy over the right to privacy. What is the Incorporation Doctrine a.k.a. Selective Incorporation? Explain the controversy over Affirmative Action? What has the Supreme Court said about it?

What’s the difference between symbolic speech and commercial speech? Which one is more restricted and why? What’s the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction? When the United States is a litigant in a case in front of the Supreme Court, who does the oral argument for us?

Senatorial courtesy is sometimes rude. Who to? Explain. Coverture & comparable worth – which would a woman in 2011 be more concerned with and why?

Identify one case brought to the Supreme Court under the Free Exercise Clause. How did the Court rule in that case? Note: you don’t need a case name for this one. Many of the Supreme Court’s decisions are controversial. Describe two ways in which other political institutions might limit the impact of the Court’s decisions. Identify the two important clauses in the 14 th Amendment.

Identify one case brought to the Supreme Court under the Equal Protection Clause. Explain the significance of that decision in US politics. Identify one case brought to the Supreme Court under the Due Process Clause. Explain the significance of that decision in US politics. What’s the difference between civil liberties and civil rights? Give an example of each.