Does a redistricting plan motivated primarily by partisan considerations violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2006.
Maryland v. King (2013)
Does the 4th Amendment allow states to collect and analyze DNA from people arrested, but not convicted, of serious crimes? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2013.
Massachusetts v. EPA (2007)
Are states, cities, or environmental groups legally able to challenge the EPA’s decision not to regulate greenhouse emissions in federal court? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2007.
McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010)
Does the right “to keep and bear arms” apply to state and local governments and thus limit Chicago’s ability to regulate guns? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2010.
MGM v. Grokster (2005)
Can technology producers who promote infringing on copyrights be sued for inducing infringement committed by their users? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2005.
Miller v. Alabama (2012)
Does a sentence of life without parole for a 14-year-old convicted of murder violate the Eighth Amendment? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2012.
Missouri v. Seibert (2004)
Does an officer’s questioning prior to the recitation of a Miranda warning undermine the protection offered by the Fifth Amendment? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2004.
Negusie v. Holder (2009)
Can a foreign citizen who is denied asylum due to his involvement in the persecution of others on the basis of a protected ground argue that he was compelled to do so by his military superiors? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2009.
Why Government? (Lesson Plan)
Students take a look at two political thinkers that spent a lot of time trying to answer the question, “Why Government?” – Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. This lesson combines our Influence Library entries on these men and adds activities that ask students to compare and contrast Hobbes and Locke and to think about how these philosophers influenced those that followed in their footsteps. This lesson is one in a series entitled “Foundations of Government.”
Congress in a Flash! (Lesson Plan)
Need to teach the legislative branch in a hurry? This lesson is designed to cover the basics in a single class period. Students learn what Congress is, what the Constitution says about the legislative branch, and how a bill becomes law. They analyze some actual language from the Constitution, compare the House and the Senate, and simulate the lawmaking process by reconciling two versions of the same fictional bill. This lesson is one in a series entitled “The Legislative Branch.”