City of Boerne v. Flores (1997)
This significant federalism case (1997) had its origins in a long-standing dispute within the Supreme Court, and then between the Supreme Court and Congress, over the proper meaning…
United States v. Morrison (2002)
In United States v. Morrison (2002), the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the federal Violence against Women Act, which provided a federal civil remedy for…
United States v. Lopez (1995)
In United States v. Lopez (1995), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the federal “Gun-Free School Zones Act” was unconstitutional. The Court ruled that…
Citizenship
In the United States, citizenship is based upon Enlightenment principles and was developed in the course of the American Revolution (1775–83) and the framing…
Voting Rights Act of 1965
is legislation by Congress in 1965 opened voting participation primarily in the American South after a century of legal and social restrictions. The federal…
Dual Citizenship
In federal systems such as the United States, the term “dual citizenship” can have several meanings. One is a citizen of one’s nation and…
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is an act adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, proclaiming American independence from Great…
Chisholm v. Georgia (1793)
Chisholm v. Georgia (1793) is the first case involving a constitutional issue ever decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Chisholm, a citizen of South Carolina, brought…
Chiafalo v. Washington (2020)
In Chiafalo v. Washington, 591 U.S. ___ (2020), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the U.S. Constitution permits a state to enforce a…
Charles River Bridge Company v. Warren Bridge Company (1837)
The original U.S. Constitution contained few restrictions on how the states could treat their own citizens. One exception is the Contract Clause—Article I, Section…
United States Trust Company v. New Jersey (1977)
In 1962, the States of New Jersey and New York entered into an agreement that dedicated the tolls collected by the Port Authority to…
Home Building and Loan v. Blaisdell (1934)
In Home Building and Loan Association v. Blaisdell (1934), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Minnesota Mortgage Moratorium Act of 1933 over a charge that it was a…
