annika tekumulla
The Second Amendment contains the right to bear arms. This means that a well-regulated militia is necessary to secure freedom and that individuals have the right to own weapons. Yet again, the courts ruling on the Second Amendment is based upon the balance between individual rights and the safety of society.
Important Court Cases
The Second Amendment has been disputed in the court case of McDonald v Chicago (2010). Otis McDonald, a resident of Chicago, wanted to purchase a gun but was restricted by the city of Chicago because of the new handgun regulations.
McDonald sued and argued that the laws violated the Fourteenth Amendment due process clause which states that no state can make laws that infringe upon the rights and privileges of its residents. The Supreme Court agreed, using the Second Amendment right to bear arms in order to stop the gun control laws in Chicago.
The Debate Today
The Second Amendment has become increasingly important in recent years because of the increase in mass shootings in the United States. The debate on the safety of society versus individual rights is yet again relevant as groups such as the National Rifle Association, March for Our Lives, and other groups rally for their opinions on gun control.
🎥 Watch: AP GOPO - 1st and 2nd Amendments
Get your ap gov survival pack!
Download our ap gov survival pack and get access to every resource you need to get a 5.
ap gov
🙏 Free Reviews 2020
Required Supreme Court Cases
- Some Background
- Why Do I Need to Know These?
- What Are The Required Cases?
- Why These Cases?
- 4 Key Points for Each Case
- Cases Involving Federalism
- McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
- United States v. Lopez (1995)
- Cases Involving the First Amendment
- Engel v. Vitale (1962)
- Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
- Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
- New York Times Co v. United States (1971)
- Schenck v. United States (1919)
- Cases Involving Selective Incorporation
- Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
- Roe v. Wade (1973)
- McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
- Cases Involving the Equal Protection Clause
- Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
- Cases Involving Federal Policy
- Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
- Cases Involving Districting & Representation
- Baker v. Carr (1962)
- Shaw v. Reno (1993)
- Cases Involving Judicial Review
- Marbury v. Madison (1803)
🏛 Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy
⚖️ Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
✊ Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
🐘 Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
🗳 Unit 5: Political Participation
🧐 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
✍️ Free Response Questions (FRQ)
✏️ Blogs
continue learning
Join Our Discord
Fiveable Community students are already meeting new friends, starting study groups, and sharing tons of opportunities for other high schoolers. Soon the Fiveable Community will be on a totally new platform where you can share, save, and organize your learning links and lead study groups among other students!🎉
*ap® and advanced placement® are registered trademarks of the college board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
© fiveable 2021 | all rights reserved.
2550 north lake drive
suite 2
milwaukee, wi 53211