In which landmark case did the Supreme Court establish the principle of “separate but equal”?
a) Brown v. Board of Education
b) Plessy v. Ferguson
c) Roe v. Wade
d) Miranda v. Arizona
Answer: b) Plessy v. Ferguson
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) declared that racial segregation in public schools was:
a) Unconstitutional
b) Constitutional
c) Legal under certain conditions
d) Only applicable in southern states
Answer: a) Unconstitutional
Which case ruled that the exclusion of Japanese Americans from their homes during World War II was constitutional due to military necessity?
a) Korematsu v. United States
b) Dred Scott v. Sandford
c) Roe v. Wade
d) Brown v. Board of Education
Answer: a) Korematsu v. United States
In Miranda v. Arizona (1966), the Court established that individuals under arrest must be informed of their:
a) Right to bear arms
b) Right to vote
c) Right to an attorney and the right to remain silent
d) Right to privacy
Answer: c) Right to an attorney and the right to remain silent
The case of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) established the right to:
a) A speedy trial
b) A jury trial for all criminal cases
c) Legal representation for those who cannot afford an attorney
d) Privacy in the home
Answer: c) Legal representation for those who cannot afford an attorney
Which Supreme Court case ruled that state-mandated prayer in public schools violated the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause?
a) Engel v. Vitale
b) Tinker v. Des Moines
c) New York Times v. United States
d) Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
Answer: a) Engel v. Vitale
The Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia (1967) struck down laws that prohibited:
a) Interracial marriage
b) Interracial adoption
c) Interracial education
d) Interracial employment
Answer: a) Interracial marriage
In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978), the Court ruled on the use of:
a) Affirmative action in college admissions
b) Prayer in public schools
c) Search and seizure rights
d) Right to counsel
Answer: a) Affirmative action in college admissions
The case of United States v. Nixon (1974) resulted in the resignation of President Nixon after the Court ordered him to:
a) Pardon those involved in the Watergate scandal
b) Appoint a new vice president
c) Release the Watergate tapes
d) Refrain from pardoning himself
Answer: c) Release the Watergate tapes
The Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) established a woman’s right to:
a) Own property
b) Vote
c) Privacy in her medical decisions, including abortion
d) Receive equal pay for equal work
Answer: c) Privacy in her medical decisions, including abortion
Which case upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as a valid exercise of military power?
a) Korematsu v. United States
b) Brown v. Board of Education
c) Miranda v. Arizona
d) Gideon v. Wainwright
Answer: a) Korematsu v. United States
The case of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) upheld students’ rights to:
a) Bear arms
b) Organize protests
c) Engage in political speech
d) Wear black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War
Answer: d) Wear black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War
In New York Times v. United States (1971), the Court upheld the right of newspapers to publish classified government information, also known as:
a) The Pentagon Papers case
b) The Watergate Papers case
c) The Nixon Tapes case
d) The Classified Information case
Answer: a) The Pentagon Papers case
The case of Texas v. Johnson (1989) ruled that flag burning as a form of political protest is protected by the:
a) First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause
b) Second Amendment’s Right to Bear Arms
c) Fourth Amendment’s Search and Seizure Clause
d) Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause
Answer: a) First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause
The case of Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) dealt with affirmative action in:
a) Elementary schools
b) College admissions
c) Housing policies
d) Employment practices
Answer: b) College admissions
The case of Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) legalized:
a) Marijuana use
b) Same-sex marriage
c) Abortion
d) School prayer
Answer: b) Same-sex marriage
In Miranda v. Arizona (1966), the “Miranda rights” pertain to:
a) The right to bear arms
b) The right to remain silent and the right to an attorney
c) The right to free speech
d) The right to a speedy trial
Answer: b) The right to remain silent and the right to an attorney
The Supreme Court case of Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) established the right to:
a) Own property
b) Privacy, including the right to use contraceptives
c) Assemble for peaceful protest
d) Practice any religion
Answer: b) Privacy, including the right to use contraceptives
In the case of Reed v. Reed (1971), the Court ruled that gender-based classifications were a violation of the:
a) Fourth Amendment
b) Eighth Amendment
c) Tenth Amendment
d) Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause
Answer: d) Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause
The case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) dealt with affirmative action in:
a) Employment practices
b) Military service
c) College admissions
d) Voting rights
Answer: c) College admissions
The Supreme Court case of Lawrence v. Texas (2003) struck down laws that criminalized:
a) Interracial marriage
b) Flag burning
c) Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults
d) Public protests
Answer: c) Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults
The case of Mapp v. Ohio (1961) established the “exclusionary rule,” which states that evidence obtained through illegal searches and seizures cannot be used in:
a) Civil trials
b) Criminal trials
c) Military trials
d) Administrative hearings
Answer: b) Criminal trials
The case of New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) dealt with the rights of students in:
a) College
b) High school
c) Elementary school
d) Vocational schools
Answer: b) High school
In the case of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Court held that individuals accused of a crime have the right to:
a) A trial by jury
b) An attorney, even if they cannot afford one
c) Remain silent during questioning
d) Bail
Answer: b) An attorney, even if they cannot afford one
The case of Furman v. Georgia (1972) temporarily halted the use of the death penalty in the United States, finding that it was being applied:
a) Too frequently and arbitrarily
b) Not frequently enough
c) In violation of the Eighth Amendment
d) In violation of the Second Amendment
Answer: a) Too frequently and arbitrarily
In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the Supreme Court upheld the use of affirmative action in college admissions based on:
a) Socioeconomic status
b) Race and ethnicity
c) Athletic ability
d) Religious affiliation
Answer: b) Race and ethnicity
The case of Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) ruled that enslaved individuals were not citizens and therefore could not:
a) Serve in the military
b) Vote
c) Marry
d) Sue in federal court
Answer: d) Sue in federal court
In the case of United States v. Windsor (2013), the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denied federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. What was the key provision?
a) The right to adopt children
b) The right to joint tax filing
c) The right to Social Security benefits
d) The definition of marriage as between a man and a woman
Answer: d) The definition of marriage as between a man and a woman
The case of Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) established a three-part test, known as the “Lemon test,” to determine the constitutionality of:
a) Search and seizure practices
b) Racial segregation
c) Affirmative action
d) Laws regarding religion in schools
Answer: d) Laws regarding religion in schools
The case of Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) dealt with the constitutionality of:
a) Affirmative action
b) Voter ID laws
c) Same-sex marriage bans
d) Gun control laws
Answer: c) Same-sex marriage bans
The case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) involved a challenge to affirmative action policies in:
a) High school admissions
b) College admissions
c) Employment practices
d) Military service
Answer: b) College admissions
In Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court ruled that laws banning interracial marriage violated the:
a) Fourth Amendment
b) Eighth Amendment
c) Ninth Amendment
d) Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses
Answer: d) Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses
The case of Lawrence v. Texas (2003) invalidated laws criminalizing:
a) Interracial marriage
b) Flag desecration
c) Same-sex sexual activity
d) Racial discrimination in housing
Answer: c) Same-sex sexual activity
In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court upheld the legality of “separate but equal” facilities based on:
a) Racial discrimination
b) Religious freedom
c) Gender discrimination
d) National origin
Answer: a) Racial discrimination
The case of Mapp v. Ohio (1961) established the “exclusionary rule,” which excludes evidence obtained illegally from being used in:
a) Civil trials
b) Administrative hearings
c) Criminal trials
d) Military tribunals
Answer: c) Criminal trials
In the case of Roe v. Wade (1973), the Supreme Court ruled that states could not ban a woman’s right to have an abortion during which trimester of pregnancy?
a) First trimester
b) Second trimester
c) Third trimester
d) Any trimester
Answer: a) First trimester
The case of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) established the right of individuals accused of a crime to:
a) Remain silent
b) A fair trial by jury
c) Legal representation, even if they cannot afford it
d) A speedy trial
Answer: c) Legal representation, even if they cannot afford it
The case of Miranda v. Arizona (1966) established the requirement for law enforcement to inform individuals of their rights before:
a) Voting
b) Arresting them
c) Conducting a search
d) Interrogating them while in custody
Answer: d) Interrogating them while in custody
The case of New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) dealt with students’ rights related to:
a) Freedom of speech
b) Search and seizure
c) Right to a fair trial
d) Right to privacy
Answer: b) Search and seizure
In the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), the Supreme Court ruled that enslaved individuals:
a) Could sue for their freedom
b) Were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal courts
c) Could only be freed by presidential pardon
d) Were entitled to full constitutional rights
Answer: b) Were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal courts
The case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) specifically overturned the previous decision in:
a) Plessy v. Ferguson
b) Dred Scott v. Sandford
c) Marbury v. Madison
d) Gideon v. Wainwright
Answer: a) Plessy v. Ferguson
In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978), the Supreme Court ruled that racial quotas in college admissions were:
a) Constitutional
b) Unconstitutional
c) Allowed if based on merit
d) Allowed if supported by public opinion
Answer: b) Unconstitutional
The case of Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) resulted in the legalization of:
a) Interracial marriage
b) Same-sex marriage
c) Polygamy
d) Arranged marriages
Answer: b) Same-sex marriage
The case of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) determined that states must provide free legal representation for individuals who:
a) Are accused of a crime and cannot afford an attorney
b) Are accused of a crime and can afford an attorney
c) Refuse to answer questions from law enforcement
d) Are protesting peacefully
Answer: a) Are accused of a crime and cannot afford an attorney
The case of Miranda v. Arizona (1966) established the principle that individuals under arrest must be informed of their:
a) Right to a jury trial
b) Right to remain silent and the right to an attorney
c) Right to vote
d) Right to due process
Answer: b) Right to remain silent and the right to an attorney
In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of “separate but equal” facilities based on:
a) Racial segregation
b) Gender discrimination
c) Religious freedom
d) National origin
Answer: a) Racial segregation
The case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) dealt with affirmative action in the context of:
a) Employment practices
b) Military service
c) College admissions
d) Housing policies
Answer: c) College admissions
In the case of United States v. Nixon (1974), the Supreme Court ordered President Nixon to release:
a) Classified government documents
b) The Pentagon Papers
c) The Watergate tapes
d) The Nixon Papers
Answer: c) The Watergate tapes
The case of Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) recognized a right to privacy that extended to the use of:
a) Birth control
b) Internet communication
c) Firearms
d) Recreational drugs
Answer: a) Birth control
In the case of Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the Supreme Court struck down laws that criminalized:
a) Interracial marriage
b) Flag desecration
c) Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults
d) Protests
Answer: c) Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults
