Does the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act exceed the constitutional power of the federal government to regulate commerce? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2012.
Gonzales v. Raich (2005)
Do federal drug laws exceed the Commerce Clause when applied to intrastate possession of medical marijuana, authorized by state law? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2005.
Gonzalez v. Oregon (2006)
Did the Controlled Substances Act authorize the U.S. attorney general to ban the use of controlled substances for physician-assisted suicide in Oregon? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2006.
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006)
Does the Detainee Treatment Act take away the Court’s authority over habeas petitions filed by Guantanamo detainees that were pending at the time of its passage? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2006.
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004)
Can a U.S. citizen captured in Afghanistan, who the President claims was an “enemy combatant,” be detained indefinitely? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2004.
The Fourth Branch: YOU! (Lesson Plan)
Students learn how citizens can influence the government. They measure the impact of their “citizen power” on each of the three branches and learn how to target the right government official with their concerns. (Note: This lesson will be most effective if students have some background knowledge of the three branches of government.)
Represent Me! (Game and Teacher’s Guide)
In Represent Me!, you work as a legislator trying to meet the needs of your constituents. The people who voted you into office have various backgrounds, diverse opinions, and they each want different things from you. As their representative, you must consider their backgrounds before deciding what bills to sponsor in Congress.
Yick Wo and the Equal Protection Clause
This documentary examines the case Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886) in which the Supreme Court held that noncitizens have due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause. A PDF lesson plan accompanies the video. The video A Conversation on the Importance of the Yick Wo Case complements the documentary.
A Conversation on the Importance of the Yick Wo Case
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy discusses the landmark ruling in Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886) in which the Supreme Court decided that the Fourteenth Amendment provides “equal protection of the laws” for noncitizens. This video complements the documentary Yick Wo and the Equal Protection Clause.
A Call to Act: Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.
This documentary tells the story of Lilly Ledbetter, whose fight for equal pay for equal work eventually involved all three branches of government and resulted in a law with her name on it — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. A PDF lesson plan accompanies this video.