U.S. Government Practice Test: Landmark Supreme Court Cases
- Landmark Supreme Court Cases
- 10 questions
- 12 minutes
Each of these 10 questions describes a famous Supreme Court decision and asks you to name the case. Tie each case to its main idea in a few words, for example Gideon = a free lawyer, Miranda = warnings before questioning.
Tap an option to mark your answer. You can change your mind, or tap the same option again to leave the question blank. The correct answers and explanations appear when you finish the test.Tap an option to answer; tap it again to leave the question blank.
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Question 1
Which 1803 case established the Supreme Court's power to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional?
Correct answer: D
In Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall held that part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional, establishing judicial review. McCulloch (1819) concerned the national bank.
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Question 2
In 1857 the Supreme Court ruled that Black Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories. Which case was this?
Correct answer: B
Dred Scott v. Sandford deepened the conflict that led to the Civil War and was overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments. Plessy came later, in 1896, and concerned segregation.
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Question 3
Which 1896 case upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine?
Correct answer: A
Plessy v. Ferguson upheld a Louisiana law requiring separate railroad cars for Black and white passengers. Brown v. Board of Education rejected that doctrine in public schools in 1954.
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Question 4
In 1954 the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racially segregated public schools are inherently unequal. Which case was this?
Correct answer: C
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka held that school segregation violates the Equal Protection Clause. It reversed the reasoning of Plessy v. Ferguson for public education.
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Question 5
Which 1824 case held that Congress's power over interstate commerce includes navigation, so a federal license overrode a New York steamboat monopoly?
Correct answer: A
Gibbons v. Ogden gave the Commerce Clause a broad reading, so federal law beat the state-granted monopoly. McCulloch v. Maryland was about implied powers and the national bank.
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Question 6
A suspect in police custody must be told of the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer before being questioned. Which 1966 case created this requirement?
Correct answer: D
Miranda v. Arizona is the source of the "Miranda warnings" based on the Fifth Amendment. Gideon is also about lawyers, but it concerns providing one at trial for defendants who cannot afford one.
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Question 7
A man too poor to hire a lawyer was tried for a felony in a Florida state court without one. In 1963 the Supreme Court ruled that states must provide counsel in such cases. Which case was this?
Correct answer: B
Gideon v. Wainwright applied the Sixth Amendment right to counsel to state felony trials through the 14th Amendment. Miranda concerns warnings during police questioning, not appointing a lawyer for trial.
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Question 8
Students were suspended for wearing black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. In 1969 the Supreme Court ruled that their protest was protected speech. Which case was this?
Correct answer: C
In Tinker v. Des Moines, the Court said students do not lose their constitutional rights "at the schoolhouse gate" when their expression does not substantially disrupt school. Brown is also a school case, but it concerned segregation.
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Question 9
Police searched a woman's home in Ohio without a valid warrant, and the evidence they found was used to convict her. In 1961 the Supreme Court ruled that such evidence cannot be used in state courts. Which case was this?
Correct answer: D
Mapp v. Ohio applied the exclusionary rule, which keeps illegally obtained evidence out of court, to the states under the Fourth Amendment. Miranda concerns statements made during questioning, not physical evidence from a search.
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Question 10
In 1974 the Supreme Court unanimously ordered a President to hand over tape recordings needed in a criminal investigation, ruling that executive privilege is not absolute. Which case was this?
Correct answer: B
United States v. Nixon required President Richard Nixon to release the Watergate tapes, and he resigned soon afterward. The case shows that the President is not above the law.
Questions you leave blank are not counted as wrong.
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