The Supreme Court, The Supreme Court, Federalism and the Federalism and the

Reagan Presidency, and Reagan Presidency, and the Federal Government’s the Federal Government’s Role in Today’s EconomyRole in Today’s Economy

In what three ways has theIn what three ways has theUnited States Supreme United States Supreme

Court played a key role in Court played a key role in recent decades?recent decades?

• Defining a constitutional Defining a constitutional right to privacy right to privacy

• Affirming equal rights Affirming equal rights • Upholding the rule of lawUpholding the rule of law

What did all Supreme Court What did all Supreme Court justices have in common justices have in common

until 1967?until 1967?

• They were all white males.They were all white males.

Who was the first African-Who was the first African-American to serve on the American to serve on the

Supreme Court?Supreme Court?

• Thurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall

Who was the first woman Who was the first woman to serve on the to serve on the Supreme Court?Supreme Court?

• Sandra Day O’ConnorSandra Day O’Connor

Who was the second Who was the second African-American to serve African-American to serve

on the Supreme Court?on the Supreme Court?

• Clarence ThomasClarence Thomas

Who was the second Who was the second woman to serve on the woman to serve on the

Supreme Court?Supreme Court?

• Ruth Bader GinsburgRuth Bader Ginsburg

How have Supreme Court How have Supreme Court decisions affected decisions affected

individual rights since the individual rights since the 1954 Brown decision?1954 Brown decision?

• They have expanded They have expanded individual rights.individual rights.

What mid-twentieth What mid-twentieth century movement served century movement served

as a model for other as a model for other groups to work for civil groups to work for civil

rights and equal justice?rights and equal justice?

• The Civil Rights The Civil Rights movementmovement

How have the federal How have the federal courts protected courts protected

employment opportunities employment opportunities for American women?for American women?

• 1964 Civil Rights Act1964 Civil Rights Act• Equal Protection Clause Equal Protection Clause

of the 14of the 14thth Amendment Amendment

How did the Supreme Court How did the Supreme Court rule in rule in Reed v. ReedReed v. Reed??

• Said an Idaho law that gave Said an Idaho law that gave preference to men over women preference to men over women was unconstitutional, because was unconstitutional, because it violated the Equal Protection it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Clause of the Fourteenth AmendmentAmendment

What legal precedent did What legal precedent did Reed v. ReedReed v. Reed set? set?

• Set precedent that the Set precedent that the Supreme Court could use Supreme Court could use the Equal Protection Clause the Equal Protection Clause to protect the rights of to protect the rights of American women under American women under certain circumstancescertain circumstances

How did the Supreme Court How did the Supreme Court rule in rule in Texas v. JohnsonTexas v. Johnson??

• Ruled in favor of a Texas Ruled in favor of a Texas man who was arrested for man who was arrested for burning an American flag burning an American flag as a political protestas a political protest

According to the Supreme According to the Supreme Court in Court in Texas v. JohnsonTexas v. Johnson, ,

what constitutional what constitutional amendment protects an amendment protects an

American’s right to burn the American’s right to burn the American flag?American flag?

• The First Amendment right The First Amendment right to free expressionto free expression

How did the Supreme Court How did the Supreme Court respond to congressional respond to congressional

passage of the Flag passage of the Flag Protection Act of 1989?Protection Act of 1989?

• Reaffirmed the Reaffirmed the JohnsonJohnson decision’s protection of an decision’s protection of an individual’s First individual’s First Amendment right to free Amendment right to free expressionexpression

How did the Supreme Court How did the Supreme Court rule in rule in

United States v. EichmanUnited States v. Eichman??

• Declared the Flag Protection Declared the Flag Protection Act unconstitutional, Act unconstitutional, because it violated the First because it violated the First AmendmentAmendment

What is the Supreme Court’s What is the Supreme Court’s most famous right to privacy most famous right to privacy

decision?decision?

• Roe v. WadeRoe v. Wade

How did the Supreme Court How did the Supreme Court rule in rule in Roe v. WadeRoe v. Wade??

• Declared that women have Declared that women have the right to obtain an the right to obtain an abortion during the first abortion during the first three months of pregnancythree months of pregnancy

What was the constitutional What was the constitutional basis of the basis of the Roe v. WadeRoe v. Wade

decision?decision?

• State criminal abortion laws State criminal abortion laws violated the Due Process violated the Due Process Clause of the 14Clause of the 14thth AmendmentAmendment

According to According to Roe v. WadeRoe v. Wade, , what does the 14what does the 14thth

Amendment’s Due Process Amendment’s Due Process Clause protect?Clause protect?

• Protects the right to privacy Protects the right to privacy against state actionagainst state action

• Thereby protects a woman’s Thereby protects a woman’s right to end her pregnancyright to end her pregnancy

What constitutional principles What constitutional principles has the Supreme Court has the Supreme Court

protected by using the power protected by using the power of judicial review to overturn of judicial review to overturn

actions by government actions by government officials?officials?

• Separation of powersSeparation of powers• Checks and balances Checks and balances

systemsystem

What were the facts of What were the facts of United United States v. NixonStates v. Nixon??

• President Nixon had secretly President Nixon had secretly tape-recorded all tape-recorded all conversations in the Oval conversations in the Oval Office.Office.

• The Senate committee The Senate committee investigating Watergate investigating Watergate asked for these tapes.asked for these tapes.

• President Nixon refused to President Nixon refused to release the tapes.release the tapes.

What principle did President What principle did President Nixon claim in Nixon claim in United States United States

v. Nixonv. Nixon??

• Nixon claimed executive Nixon claimed executive privilege gave him the right privilege gave him the right to keep his records private.to keep his records private.

How did the Supreme Court How did the Supreme Court rule in rule in United States v. United States v.

NixonNixon??

• Unanimously ruled that Unanimously ruled that executive privilege did not executive privilege did not apply in the Nixon caseapply in the Nixon case

• President Nixon must President Nixon must release the complete release the complete Watergate tapesWatergate tapes

What effect did the Supreme What effect did the Supreme Court’s ruling in Court’s ruling in United United States v. NixonStates v. Nixon have on have on

Nixon’s presidency?Nixon’s presidency?

• Nixon resigned as president Nixon resigned as president the next month.the next month.

What is federalism?What is federalism?

• Power sharing between the Power sharing between the federal government and the federal government and the statesstates

Explain how federalism Explain how federalism works.works.

• Federal government holds Federal government holds some powerssome powers

• State governments hold State governments hold other powersother powers

• Some powers are shared by Some powers are shared by the federal government and the federal government and the statesthe states

What was Ronald Reagan’s What was Ronald Reagan’s political partypolitical party?

• RepublicanRepublican

What have some observers What have some observers called the two terms of the called the two terms of the

Reagan presidency?Reagan presidency?

• The “Reagan Revolution”The “Reagan Revolution”

What was Ronald Reagan’s What was Ronald Reagan’s political philosophy?political philosophy?

• ConservativeConservative• Opposed the expansion of Opposed the expansion of

federal power at the expense federal power at the expense of the statesof the states

What type of re-evaluation What type of re-evaluation resulted from the resulted from the

conservative political conservative political philosophy of President philosophy of President

Reagan?Reagan?

• Re-evaluation of the size Re-evaluation of the size and role of government in and role of government in the American economy and the American economy and American societyAmerican society

What four actions did the What four actions did the “Reagan Revolution” “Reagan Revolution” advocate or call for?advocate or call for?

• Tax cutsTax cuts• Transfer of responsibilities from Transfer of responsibilities from

the federal government to state the federal government to state governmentsgovernments

• Appointment of federal judges and Appointment of federal judges and Supreme Court justices who Supreme Court justices who exercised “judicial restraint”exercised “judicial restraint”

• Reduction in the number and Reduction in the number and scope of government programs scope of government programs and regulationsand regulations

What was President Reagan’s What was President Reagan’s hope?hope?

• Reduce the size and power Reduce the size and power of the federal governmentof the federal government

• Turn over federal Turn over federal government decisions to government decisions to either state governments or either state governments or individual citizensindividual citizens

What was Reagan’s belief What was Reagan’s belief regarding national defense?regarding national defense?

• National defense was a key National defense was a key function of the federal function of the federal governmentgovernment

How did Reagan’s political How did Reagan’s political philosophy influence his philosophy influence his

position on military position on military spending?spending?

• Reagan wanted to Reagan wanted to strengthen the American strengthen the American military.military.

According to the 2008 According to the 2008 VUS VUS Curriculum FrameworkCurriculum Framework, what , what

four facts support the idea four facts support the idea that the “Reagan Revolution” that the “Reagan Revolution” lasted longer than Reagan’s lasted longer than Reagan’s

presidency?presidency?

• Election of Reagan’s vice president Election of Reagan’s vice president George H. W. Bush as president in George H. W. Bush as president in 19881988

• Election to the presidency of a Election to the presidency of a centrist Democrat William (Bill) centrist Democrat William (Bill) Clinton in 1992 and 1996Clinton in 1992 and 1996

• Republican sweep of Republican sweep of congressional elections and congressional elections and statehouses in the 1990sstatehouses in the 1990s

• The election of George W. Bush as The election of George W. Bush as president in 2000 and 2004president in 2000 and 2004

What are four economic What are four economic indicators, which the federal indicators, which the federal

government uses to make government uses to make decisions on economic decisions on economic

policy?policy?

• Gross Domestic Product Gross Domestic Product (GDP)(GDP)

• Exchange ratesExchange rates• InflationInflation• Unemployment ratesUnemployment rates

Define GDP.Define GDP.

• The market value of the The market value of the goods and services goods and services produced by a countryproduced by a country

What are exchange rates?What are exchange rates?

• The value of the American The value of the American dollar relative to other world dollar relative to other world currenciescurrencies

What determines the value of What determines the value of the American dollar on the the American dollar on the

international currency international currency market?market?

• The dollar’s value floats on The dollar’s value floats on the international currency the international currency market according to the market according to the principle of supply and principle of supply and demand.demand.

What two types of policy does What two types of policy does the federal government use to the federal government use to promote a healthy economy?promote a healthy economy?

• Monetary policyMonetary policy• Fiscal policyFiscal policy

What is America’s central What is America’s central bank?bank?

• The Federal ReserveThe Federal Reserve

Who controls monetary Who controls monetary policy?policy?

• The Federal ReserveThe Federal Reserve

What is monetary policy?What is monetary policy?

• Federal Reserve actions to Federal Reserve actions to influence the availability of influence the availability of money and credit for money and credit for individuals and business individuals and business groupsgroups

What action does the Federal What action does the Federal Reserve take if it believes the Reserve take if it believes the

American economy is American economy is slowing down?slowing down?

• Cuts interest ratesCuts interest rates

What is inflation?What is inflation?

• When prices increase and When prices increase and the dollar buys lessthe dollar buys less

What action does the Federal What action does the Federal Reserve take if it believes the Reserve take if it believes the

American economy is American economy is overheating and thereby causing overheating and thereby causing

inflation?inflation?

• Raises interest ratesRaises interest rates

Who controls fiscal policy?Who controls fiscal policy?

• The President and The President and CongressCongress

What is fiscal policy?What is fiscal policy?

• Federal government taxing Federal government taxing and spending actions which and spending actions which influence consumer demand influence consumer demand and business activityand business activity

Under fiscal policy, what Under fiscal policy, what actions may Congress and actions may Congress and

the President take if the the President take if the economy is slowing down?economy is slowing down?

• Cut taxesCut taxes• Increase federal spendingIncrease federal spending

Under fiscal policy, what actions Under fiscal policy, what actions may Congress and the President may Congress and the President take if they believe the economy take if they believe the economy

is overheating and thereby is overheating and thereby causing inflation?causing inflation?

• Increase taxesIncrease taxes• Cut federal spending Cut federal spending