The 14+1 Essential AP Gov Required Court Cases You Must Know For The 2025 Exam: The Complete List
Are you studying for the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam in 2025? Then you need the most current, up-to-date list of the required Supreme Court cases, which form the backbone of the course’s content. As of today, December 19, 2025, the College Board has mandated a set of landmark cases that students must know in detail, including the facts, the constitutional question, the ruling, and the lasting significance, especially concerning key constitutional clauses like the Due Process Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause. The biggest and freshest update is the removal of a long-standing case, making this information critical for your study plan.
The curriculum emphasizes not just memorization, but the ability to compare and contrast these judicial precedents and apply them to new scenarios. While the original list consisted of 15 cases, the recent striking down of a major precedent means the focus has shifted, and understanding the context of this change is just as important as knowing the remaining 14 required cases. We’ve broken down the essential 14 by thematic unit, plus the critical "1" case you need for full topical authority.
The Definitive 14 Required AP Gov Supreme Court Cases (2025 Curriculum)
The AP U.S. Government and Politics course is structured around five major units, and the required Supreme Court cases are integrated throughout these units. Mastering these cases demonstrates a deep understanding of America’s constitutional principles, federalism, civil liberties, and civil rights. The following list provides the essential cases grouped by their primary thematic unit.
Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy & Federalism Cases
These cases define the relationship between the federal government and the states, establishing the foundational powers that shape American governance, including the concept of federalism and the scope of congressional power.
- 1. Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Significance: Established the principle of Judicial Review, granting the Supreme Court the power to declare an act of Congress or the President unconstitutional. This single case fundamentally shaped the power of the judicial branch, making it a co-equal branch of government.
- 2. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Significance: Confirmed the supremacy of national law over state law. The Court relied on the Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause) to uphold the creation of a national bank, establishing the doctrine of Implied Powers for Congress and reinforcing the Supremacy Clause.
- 3. United States v. Lopez (1995)
Significance: Marked a significant shift in federalism by limiting the power of Congress under the Commerce Clause. The Court ruled that the Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce, reaffirming the principle of reserved powers for the states.
Unit 2: Political Participation & Interactions Among Branches Cases
These precedents explore the structure and function of the legislative and judicial branches, specifically dealing with issues of representation, elections, and the balance of power.
- 4. Baker v. Carr (1962)
Significance: Opened the door for federal courts to rule on legislative apportionment. The Court established the principle of "one person, one vote," holding that unequal legislative districts were a justiciable issue under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
- 5. Shaw v. Reno (1993)
Significance: Addressed the issue of racial gerrymandering. The Court ruled that legislative redistricting based solely on race, even if intended to benefit a minority group, must be held to a standard of "strict scrutiny" under the Equal Protection Clause.
- 6. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
Significance: Dramatically reshaped campaign finance law. The Court ruled that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited, based on the principle that money is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. This led to the rise of Super PACs.
Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Cases
This is the largest and most complex unit, focusing on the protection of individual freedoms and the application of the Bill of Rights to the states through the doctrine of selective incorporation (via the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause).
- 7. Schenck v. United States (1919)
Significance: Established the "clear and present danger" test, limiting free speech during wartime. The Court ruled that speech that creates a clear and present danger of a significant evil that Congress has the power to prevent is not protected by the First Amendment.
- 8. Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
Significance: Defined the free speech rights of students in public schools. The Court ruled that students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gate, and symbolic speech (like wearing armbands) is protected unless it substantially disrupts the educational environment.
- 9. New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
Significance: Solidified the doctrine against prior restraint (government censorship of the press). In the "Pentagon Papers" case, the Court ruled that the government failed to meet the heavy burden of justifying prior restraint, reinforcing freedom of the press.
- 10. Engel v. Vitale (1962)
Significance: Banned state-sponsored, mandatory prayer in public schools. This case was a major interpretation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing an official religion.
- 11. Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
Significance: Upheld the rights of Amish parents to pull their children out of public school for religious reasons. The Court ruled that the state's compulsory education law was unconstitutional as applied to the Amish, citing the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.
- 12. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Significance: Incorporated the Sixth Amendment's right to counsel to the states. The Court ruled that states must provide an attorney for indigent defendants in felony cases, establishing a fundamental right essential to a fair trial via the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
- 13. McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
Significance: Incorporated the Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms) to the states. The Court ruled that the right to self-defense is fundamental and applies to the states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
- 14. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Significance: Overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. The Court ruled that state-sponsored segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, serving as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.
The Critical Update: The Removal of Roe v. Wade and the Rise of Dobbs
The most significant and recent curriculum change for the AP Gov exam revolves around the sensitive issue of abortion rights. For decades, Roe v. Wade (1973) was one of the 15 required cases, establishing a constitutional right to abortion based on a right to privacy derived from the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
However, following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which explicitly overturned *Roe v. Wade*, the College Board officially removed *Roe* from the list of required cases for the AP exam.
Why You Must Still Study Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022)
While *Roe v. Wade* is no longer technically "required," the case that overturned it—*Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization*—is arguably the most important judicial development of the last few years and is essential for contextual understanding and topical authority.
- The Precedent Change: *Dobbs* eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, returning the authority to regulate or ban abortion to individual state legislatures.
- The Constitutional Question: The key issue in *Dobbs* was whether the Constitution confers a right to abortion, and the Court ruled that it does not, specifically stating that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does not protect this right.
- Exam Relevance: You will likely see questions on the exam that use *Dobbs* as a contemporary example of how the Supreme Court can change judicial precedent, how the interpretation of the Due Process Clause evolves, and how federalism (the division of power between state and federal governments) is impacted by judicial decisions. Knowing *Dobbs* allows you to compare and contrast it with the original *Roe* ruling and the principle of stare decisis (precedent).
Therefore, your study strategy should focus on the 14 required cases listed above, treating Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization as the "plus one" essential case for modern context and comparison on the 2025 AP U.S. Government and Politics exam.
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