Florida Civic Literacy Practice Exam

Which United States Supreme Court decision was based on the Equal Protection Clause?

1. Plessy v. Ferguson

2. Marbury v. Madison

3. Gideon v. Wainwright

4. New Jersey v. TLO

The correct answer is: Plessy v. Ferguson

The correct choice revolves around the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which is central to the decision in the case involving segregation laws. In Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court upheld a Louisiana law that enforced racial segregation in public facilities under the doctrine of "separate but equal." This landmark decision interpreted the Equal Protection Clause, asserting that racially segregated facilities for blacks and whites could coexist as long as they were deemed equal in quality. However, this ruling effectively sanctioned institutionalized racism and inequality until it was eventually overturned by later decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education. Other cases mentioned are significant in their own rights, but they do not primarily deal with the Equal Protection Clause. Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review, Gideon v. Wainwright focused on the right to counsel, and New Jersey v. TLO addressed students' rights regarding search and seizure in schools. None of these cases were directly tied to issues of equal protection under the law as it pertains to race and segregation, which is why Plessy v. Ferguson is the most appropriate reference for the Equal Protection Clause.