Question

In 1958, the Supreme Court decided the case NAACP v. Alabama. Alabama argued that the state can request membership lists in order to investigate members and protect the state from potential terrorism activities. The NAACP argued that membership lists should be kept confidential to protect the personal safety of its members. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the NAACP and wrote the following:

“Immunity from state scrutiny of petitioner's membership lists is here so related to the right of petitioner's members to pursue their lawful private interests privately and to associate freely with others in doing so as to come within the protection of the Fourteenth Amendment. The State has failed to show a controlling justification for the deterrent effect on the free enjoyment of the right to associate which disclosure of petitioner's membership lists is likely to have...Freedom to engage in association for the advancement of beliefs and ideas is an inseparable aspect of the "liberty" assured by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment....”

Describe how this Supreme Court case reconciled the discrepancy between American ideals and public policy.

(1 point)
Responses

The president appoints members of the Supreme Court that are supportive of the Supreme Court decision to extend the Fourteenth Amendment to all people.
The president appoints members of the Supreme Court that are supportive of the Supreme Court decision to extend the Fourteenth Amendment to all people.

An interest group argues against a law that violates the Fourteenth Amendment.
An interest group argues against a law that violates the Fourteenth Amendment.

Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment, and it was ratified by the states.
Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment, and it was ratified by the states.

Large numbers of people spontaneously demonstrated against the Alabama law.

Answer 1

An interest group argues against a law that violates the Fourteenth Amendment.

Explanation: The NAACP (an interest group) challenged Alabama’s demand for membership lists as a violation of members’ Fourteenth Amendment rights; the Supreme Court’s ruling protected those constitutional rights, reconciling American ideals (liberty and association) with public policy.