Module 3 Essay (Packback)
Important Court Cases and Executive Orders, and their Impact on Law and Society
In this Module 3 Essay, you will have the opportunity to study your choice of
three
to
four
landmark Supreme Court cases and
two
presidential executive orders. Through research, reading, and reflection, you will be taking a deeper dive into some consequential and influential court cases and presidential orders.
This essay assignment has two parts, and
BOTH parts must be completed (
required
).
————————————————————————————————————————
(student’s name),
please write an essay (
1,000 words minimum to
2,000 words maximum) in which you address the following topic
:
“Important Supreme Court cases
and Executive Orders, and their impact on law and on our society.”
PART ONE – Landmark Supreme Court Cases:
The history of the United States has been marked by the progressive expansion of voting rights, the protection of its citizens through legislation and Supreme Court decisions, and a federal judiciary that has played an increasingly important role in making public policy. Our text provides the names of various landmark Supreme Court cases that have impacted our society, along with very brief explanations.
In Part One of this essay, please take a “deeper dive” into a few of these landmark Supreme Court cases.
Step 1
: Choose
three
to
four
landmark Supreme Court cases to study in more depth. In particular, choose each of your three or four cases from a different
topic area and research, read, and reflect on each of your selected cases.
At the end of Module 3 in Canvas, please find a file called ”
Supreme Court Cases and Resources for MODULE 3 PACKBACK ESSAY.” Feel free to use this listing to help you choose Supreme Court cases to research and write about for this essay, or perhaps you’ll identify court cases that interest you from one of the many sources provided at the end of the case list.
Step 2:
Next, write
one
to
two
paragraphs about each case you chose, remembering to briefly describe:
· the background issues and historical context of the case
· a brief summary of the case
· how the Court ruled in the case
· highlights of the Court’s majority opinion
· highlights of the dissenting opinion
· the impact of Court’s ruling on American society
When choosing which cases to study and write about for this Essay, remember to check the
Supreme Court Cases and Resources for MODULE 3 PACKBACK ESSAY listing located at the end of Module 3, and/or use the web links to the external sources provided.
PART TWO – Executive Orders:
The US Constitution gives Presidents the authority to issue executive orders, which are unilateral directives from the president that do not need congressional approval. Since our country’s founding, virtually every president has used executive orders to a greater or lesser extent to create policy, implement legislation, create (or abolish) government agencies, and much more. The use of executive orders has varied with each president; and in some cases, executive orders have provided important protections, while in other cases, executive orders have resulted in the violation of individual rights.
In Part Two of this essay, please take a “deeper dive” into a few important Executive Orders:
Step 1
: Research examples of presidential executive orders, from our text, and/or from the sources listed in the
Supreme Court Cases and Resources for MODULE 3 PACKBACK ESSAY file located at the end of Module 3 in Canvas.
Step 2
: Choose
two
executive orders that you felt were particularly consequential. As you read and reflect on the action taken:
· Describe what action the president’s executive order implemented
· Describe the background issues and the historical context that led to the executive order being issued
· Explain why you feel the executive order was impactful, highlighting the specific impact that the executive order had on American society
Remember to write separate paragraphs about each executive order you write about.
Deep Dive Prompt
In this Module 3 Essay, you will have the opportunity to study your choice of
three
to
four
landmark Supreme Court cases and
two
presidential executive orders. Through research, reading, and reflection, you will be taking a deeper dive into some consequential and influential court cases and presidential orders.
This essay assignment has two parts, and
BOTH parts must be completed (
required
).
————————————————————————————————————————
(student’s name),
please write an essay (
1,000 words minimum to
2,000 words maximum) in which you address the following topic
:
“Important Supreme Court cases
and Executive Orders, and their impact on law and on our society.”
PART ONE – Landmark Supreme Court Cases:
The history of the United States has been marked by the progressive expansion of voting rights, the protection of its citizens through legislation and Supreme Court decisions, and a federal judiciary that has played an increasingly important role in making public policy. Our text provides the names of various landmark Supreme Court cases that have impacted our society, along with very brief explanations.
In Part One of this essay, please take a “deeper dive” into a few of these landmark Supreme Court cases.
Step 1
: Choose
three
to
four
landmark Supreme Court cases to study in more depth. In particular, choose each of your three or four cases from a different
topic area and research, read, and reflect on each of your selected cases.
At the end of Module 3 in Canvas, please find a file called ”
Supreme Court Cases and Resources for MODULE 3 PACKBACK ESSAY.” Feel free to use this listing to help you choose Supreme Court cases to research and write about for this essay, or perhaps you’ll identify court cases that interest you from one of the many sources provided at the end of the case list.
Step 2:
Next, write
one
to
two
paragraphs about each case you chose, remembering to briefly describe:
· the background issues and historical context of the case
· a brief summary of the case
· how the Court ruled in the case
· highlights of the Court’s majority opinion
· highlights of the dissenting opinion
· the impact of Court’s ruling on American society
When choosing which cases to study and write about for this Essay, remember to check the
Supreme Court Cases and Resources for MODULE 3 PACKBACK ESSAY listing located at the end of Module 3, and/or use the web links to the external sources provided.
PART TWO – Executive Orders:
The US Constitution gives Presidents the authority to issue executive orders, which are unilateral directives from the president that do not need congressional approval. Since our country’s founding, virtually every president has used executive orders to a greater or lesser extent to create policy, implement legislation, create (or abolish) government agencies, and much more. The use of executive orders has varied with each president; and in some cases, executive orders have provided important protections, while in other cases, executive orders have resulted in the violation of individual rights.
In Part Two of this essay, please take a “deeper dive” into a few important Executive Orders:
Step 1
: Research examples of presidential executive orders, from our text, and/or from the sources listed in the
Supreme Court Cases and Resources for MODULE 3 PACKBACK ESSAY file located at the end of Module 3 in Canvas.
Step 2
: Choose
two
executive orders that you felt were particularly consequential. As you read and reflect on the action taken:
· Describe what action the president’s executive order implemented
· Describe the background issues and the historical context that led to the executive order being issued
· Explain why you feel the executive order was impactful, highlighting the specific impact that the executive order had on American society
Remember to write separate paragraphs about each executive order you write about.
Details
Requirements
Word Count, Word Choice & Depth (5 points)
1000 – 2200 Words
Research Quality (15 points)
3 + Sources
Required to receive full credit
Formatting & Presentation (15 points)
Grammar & Mechanics (5 points)
Flow & Structure (10 points)
Quality and Accuracy of Information (20 points)
Critical Thinking (20 points)
Vocabulary and Word Usage (10 points)
Supreme Court Cases and Resources for MODULE 3 PACKBACK ESSAY
Some Landmark Supreme Court cases, by topic:
Federal-State Relations
•
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
•
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
•
Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad v. Illinois (1886)
•
United States v. Lopez (1995)
•
Alden v. Maine (1999)
•
United States v. Morrison (2000)
•
Kelo v. City of New London (2005)
•
National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2010)
•
Arizona v. United States (2012)
•
King v. Burwell (2015)
Free Speech and Free Press – Religious Freedom – Criminal Charges
•
Schenck v. United States (1919)
•
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)
•
New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)
•
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
•
Miller v. California (1973)
•
Texas v. Johnson (1989)
•
Everson v. Board of Education (1947)
•
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
•
Lee v. Weisman (1992)
•
Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000)
•
Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014)
•
Little Sisters of the Poor v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (2020
•
Carson v. Makin (2022)
•
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
•
Gideon v. Wainwright (1964)
•
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
•
Rasul v. Bush (2004)
•
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006)
•
Boumedine v. Bush (2008)
Civil Rights – Women’s Rights – Privacy & Abortion – LBGTQ — Affirmative Action
•
Scott v. Sanford (1857)
•
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
•
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
•
Green v. County School Board of New Kent County (1968)
•
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971)
•
Reed v. Reed (1971)
•
Craig v. Boren (1976)
•
United States v. Virginia (1996)
•
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
•
Roe v. Wade (1973)
•
Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)
•
Gonzales v. Carhart (2007)
•
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022)
•
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger (2003)
•
Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin el al. (2016)
•
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000)
•
Lawrence v. Texas (2003)
•
United States v. Windsor (2013)
•
Obergefell v. Hodges (2016)
•
Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga. (2020)
Elections and Campaign Financing
•
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
•
McConnell v. Federal Election Commission (2002)
•
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
•
Federal Election Commision v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. (2007)
The Rights of the Media
•
Near v. Minnesota (1931)
•
Miami Herald v. Tornillo (1974)
•
New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)
•
New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
•
Chandler v. Florida (1981)
•
Gertz vs. Robert Welch, Inc. (1974)
Powers of the President
•
United States v. Nixon (1`974)
•
Clinton v. Jones (1997)
•
Trump v. Vance (2020)
Powers of the Supreme Court
•
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
•
Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee (1816)
Interest Groups
•
National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo (2024)
•
Glacier Northwest Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters (2023)
•
National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp (1937)
•
United States v. Harriss (1954)
•
District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
•
McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010)
•
New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen (2022)
Below are some suggested external websites for further assistance; however, feel free to consult
additional sources as needed.
•
Supreme Court Landmarks –
resources/supreme-court-landmarks.
•
•
•
15 Supreme Court Cases that Changed America –
scotus-cases/index.html.
•
Executive Orders –
The American Presidency Project.
•
.
•
them.
