Furman v. Georgia (1972)
The Supreme Court has never held that the death penalty, per se, is a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual…
Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940)
See Incorporation (Nationalization) of the Bill of Rights
Calhoun, John C.
As a politician and political philosopher of constitution, federalism, and state sovereignty, John Caldwell Calhoun (1782–1850) was the most preeminent spokesperson for the antebellum…
The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers originated as a series of articles in a New York newspaper in 1787–88. Published anonymously under the pen name of “Publius,”…
Jackson, Andrew
Andrew Jackson’s (1767–1845) personality and two presidencies remain mired in controversy. Admirers saw him as embodying the democratic virtues of the West, a rough-and-tumble…
Nullification
Nullification is a concept that gives a lower level of government the right to declare null and void any law that is passed by…
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, drafted by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison respectively, were the first official acts to assert a right in the…
Bush v. Gore (2000)
In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court through its decision in Bush v. Gore ended the uncertainty surrounding which candidate had actually won the presidential…
Thomas, Clarence
The U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has issued a number of five-to-four decisions concerning federalism. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas (1991–…
Scalia, Antonin
In 1986 Antonin Scalia (1936–2016) was nominated by President& Ronald Reagan to serve as associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.…
Burgess, Michael
Michael David Burgess (March 1, 1949 – February 4th, 2018) was a leading federal scholar working at Loughborough Technical College, Plymouth Polytechnic, Keele University,…
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966) was one of the Warren Court’s most controversial decisions in the field of criminal justice. The case centered on Ernesto…
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Mapp v. Ohio (1961) is the first of a series of cases in which the Warren Court incorporated various procedural aspects of the Bill…
