This document summarizes three Supreme Court cases:
- Bush v. Gore ruled in favor of Bush, finding that the Florida recount violated the 14th Amendment.
- Dredd Scott v. Sanford ruled that Congress couldn't declare states free and that Dredd Scott was the property of Sanford.
- McCulloch v. Maryland ruled that the federal government has implied constitutional powers and states cannot tax federal institutions.
3. Plaintiff Arguments
George
Bush and the Republican
party claimed that they had won
the state of Florida therefor
winning the election.
Bush complained also that the
recount of the votes undermined
the 14th amendment of the
constitution.
4. Defendant Arguments
Al Gore and the Democratice party
believed they had won the state of
Florida and the election
Al Gore demanded a recount of the
votes, because he felt that it was unfair
to bas who had won off of a state
election that was not properly counted.
5. Verdict
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor
of Bush and the Republican party.
The recount of the votes had violated
the 14th amendment of the Constitution
which “requires the federal government
to respect, maintain and uphold the legal
rights of American citizens.
Governments in the United States are
not allowed to infringe on the civil rights
and liberties of its people”
6.
7. Plaintiff Arguments
Dredd Scott believed that he should be
a free man because his owner moved to
a free state but then died.
He claimed that since he was left in a
free state when his owner died he
should have a right to freedom.
Dredd Scott had his freedom for a short
period of time and when he was
reclaimed he tried for his freedom again.
8. Defendant Arguments
John Sanford (who represented
Emerson) said that since Dredd Scott
belonged to Emerson he should be
given to another member of the family
since he was only “property”
9. Verdict
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that
Congress did not have the right to
declare states as “free states”
They also ruled that Dredd Scott was
only considered property and that he
belonged to Sanford.
10.
11. Plaintiff Arguments
McCulloch, the manager of a federal
bank in Maryland did not believe that the
state of Maryland had the right to tax a
federal bank.
He thought that since it was a branch of
the government that they should not
have to pay state taxes.
12. Defendant Arguments
The state of Maryland claimed that since
the Bank was on Maryland territory,
using Maryland’s resources, and
Maryland’s money, that they should
have to pay taxes.
They did not think being a branch of the
government had anything to do with
taxation.
13. Verdict
The Supreme Court ruled the following:
Firstly, the Congress of the United States is
granted for certain implied powers by the
Constitution that are implemented in order
to ensure for the proper function of the
Federal Government.
The other major outcome was that the
States cannot impose on the powers
granted by the Constitution to the Federal
Government by any action, such as levying
a bank tax on a national bank.