Key cases

• Snyder Vs Phelps


  Upheld the right to freedom of speech in 2011 when it allowed Westboro Baptist Church to hold anti-gay protests at the funerals of soldiers
• Towns of Greece vs Galloway

  Allowed city and town councils to start meetings with a prayer, protecting rights under the 1st amendment
• Obergefell Vs Hodges


  Legalised gay marriage through recognising a same-sex partner on a death certificate
• United States vs Windsor

  Saw the Defence of Marriage act being declared as unconstitutional due to allowing states to determine the legality of same sex partnerships
• Roe Vs Wade


  Legalised abortion in 1973 through the 14th amendment's privacy clause but was repealed in 2022
• Miller Vs Alabama


  Ruled that Alabama's life sentence of a minor without parole was unconstitutional
• Brown Vs Board of Education


  Outlawed segregation within schools
• Columbia Vs Heller


  Ruled that a 1976 ruling was unconstitutional as it banned having handguns and having loaded rifles which infringed on 2nd amendment rights
• Gratz vs Bollinger


  Found Michigan's affirmative action programme to be unconstitutional as it didn't consider candidates based on their achievements
• Fisher Vs Texas


  Upheld Texas uni's affirmative action despite fisher claiming it stopped her getting a place into the institution
• Dickerson VS United States

  Allowed the right to remain silent when being arrested with the Miranda Rights under the 5th amendment
• There were 52 African American congresspeople in the 115th Congress and 45 Hispanic members.

  · In 2024, there are 4 black senators.

  · 77% of Jewish people voted for Biden in 2020.

  · 12% of Black people voted for Trump in 2020 due to his Black Voices for America Campaign.

  · 54% of women voted for Clinton in 2016 and 41% of women voted for Trump.

  · 33% of Congress are Catholic despite only 21% of the population practising Catholicism.
• Trump reduced corporation tax from 35% to 21%
• Clinton reduced the budget deficit by 50%
• Bush introduced tax cuts of $1.35 trillion
• Biden's $1.75 trillion climate change initiative was rejected by Democrats like Manchin
• Clinton introduced gun background checks and 5-day waiting periods for purchases under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
• Bush introduced the No Child Left Behind act that introduced standardised testing and gave 20% more funding to poorer schools
• Obama introduced compulsory healthcare insurance
• Compulsory healthcare insurance


  • Was seen as unconstitutional until Congress mandated it under the Commerce Clause
  • Infringes on federalism
  • Those with health insurance grew from 28 million to 50 million
  • Trump tried to repeal it in 2017 but failed as moderates like Susan Collins voted against him
  • An example of bipartisanship
• The repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell allowed LGBTQ people to be open within the military
• Obama withdrew from Iraq in 2011, signed a test ban treaty with Iran in 2015, oversaw the killing of Osama Bin Laden
• Trump withdrew from Afghanistan and Syria because he didn't want to be the world's policeman, an executive order removed America from the Transpacific partnership
• Priorities USA Action raised $192 million for Clinton
• Clinton raised $275 million in total during her campaign in 2016
• Trump got $22 million from Rebuilding America Now
• Labourers' Union gave $1.9 million to the Democrats under Biden
• Trump got $53 million from donors after his Hush Money trial where he was found guilty
• The financial sector gave $75 million to both candidates to gain favourable treatment
• The NRA funds congresspeople so they reject bills for gun control. 90% of Americans want greater background checks for guns but congress has repeatedly voted against this
• Northrop Grumman spent $170 million in 2012 and got given a contract with NATO to build drones
• Fossil Fuel companies that donated over $1 billion to Trump saw an executive order that reduced the carbon emissions regulations
• Clinton's support grew by 16% after his nomination speech in 1992
• Tv debates allow candidates to address voters as 84 million watched the first debate between Trump and Clinton