You've probably looked at the list of 15 required AP Gov SCOTUS cases and felt that familiar wave of "how on earth am I going to remember all this?" Honestly, it’s a lot. Between the dates, the specific amendments, and those dense legal holdings, it's easy to get lost in the weeds. But here’s the thing: you don’t actually need to be a law professor to crush the AP exam. You just need to understand the "why" behind these cases.
The College Board doesn't just pick these to be mean. They pick them because these specific rulings are the scaffolding of our entire government. They define where your rights start and where the government’s power stops. Basically, if you know these 15, you know the American playbook.
The Big Two of Federal Power
Federalism is usually where the course starts, and it’s where most students start mixing things up. You have to keep McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) and United States v. Lopez (1995) straight because they are basically opposites.
Think of McCulloch as the "Team Federal Government" case. Maryland tried to tax a federal bank. The Court basically said, "Nice try, but no." This case established the Supremacy Clause and implied powers. It proved that if the Constitution gives Congress a goal, they have the "necessary and proper" ways to get there.
Then, jump forward nearly 200 years to Lopez. This is "Team States." Alfonzo Lopez carried a gun into a high school, and the feds tried to charge him under a federal law. The Court stepped in and said Congress was overreaching. They argued that carrying a gun in a school zone isn't "interstate commerce." It was the first time in forever that the Court actually put a leash on the Commerce Clause.
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First Amendment Vibes: Prayer and Protests
Religious freedom cases are a staple on the exam. You’ve got Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972).
Engel is your Establishment Clause heavyweight. It’s the one that stopped state-sponsored prayer in public schools. Even if the prayer is "voluntary" or non-denominational, the Court said the government shouldn't be in the business of writing prayers.
Yoder is different—it’s about the Free Exercise Clause. The Amish didn't want to send their kids to high school because it clashed with their lifestyle. The Court ruled that their right to practice religion outweighed the state’s interest in making kids attend school until age 16.
Student Speech vs. National Security
Then there’s the speech stuff.
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- Tinker v. Des Moines (1969): The black armbands case. Students don't "shed their constitutional rights... at the schoolhouse gate." As long as it isn't causing a "substantial disruption," you can wear your protest.
- Schenck v. United States (1919): This is the "clear and present danger" case. You can't distribute anti-draft leaflets during WWI because it creates a danger the government has a right to prevent. It’s the classic "shouting fire in a crowded theater" origin story.
- New York Times Co. v. United States (1971): The Pentagon Papers. The government tried to stop the press from publishing classified info. The Court said "prior restraint" (censorship before publication) is almost always unconstitutional.
The Equal Protection Powerhouse
If you only remember one case, it's probably Brown v. Board of Education (1954). It used the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause to strike down "separate but equal." It overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and basically signaled that state-enforced segregation was dead.
But don't ignore the voting cases. Baker v. Carr (1962) is the "one person, one vote" case. It allowed federal courts to jump into state redistricting fights. Before this, states could basically ignore population shifts, leaving some voters with way more power than others.
Shaw v. Reno (1993) added a twist to this. It ruled that while you can draw districts to help minorities, you can't do it based only on race. If a district looks like a "bizarre" gerrymandered mess just to hit a racial quota, it likely violates the Equal Protection Clause.
Rights of the Accused and Incorporation
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) is a wild story. A guy gets charged with a minor crime, can't afford a lawyer, defends himself, and loses. He writes a petition to the Supreme Court from his prison cell. The Court eventually rules that the 6th Amendment right to counsel applies to the states. This is a prime example of selective incorporation.
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McDonald v. Chicago (2010) did something similar for the 2nd Amendment. After D.C. v. Heller said individuals have a right to guns, McDonald forced that rule onto states and cities. Now, a city can't just ban handguns entirely.
The Money and the Power
Citizens United v. FEC (2010) is probably the most controversial one on the list. It treated corporate funding of "independent expenditures" as protected political speech. This paved the way for Super PACs and the massive amounts of money we see in elections today.
Lastly, never forget Marbury v. Madison (1803). It’s the foundation. It established judicial review. Without this case, the Supreme Court wouldn't have the power to declare any of the other laws we've talked about unconstitutional.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Review
- Group by Clause: Don't just memorize the names. Group them. For example, which cases use the 14th Amendment? (Brown, Baker, Shaw, Gideon, McDonald).
- Flashcards for "The Turn": For every case, know the "Holding." This is the specific legal decision. Don't just say "Brown was about schools." Say "Brown ruled that separate but equal violates the Equal Protection Clause."
- Compare and Contrast: The AP exam loves asking you to compare a required case to a new one they provide. Practice explaining how Tinker might apply to a modern-day social media protest.
- The "Check" Rule: Always identify which branch of government is being "checked" by the Court in each case. In Lopez, it’s the Legislative. In NYT v. US, it’s the Executive.