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Supreme Court

constitutional law

Constitutional Law: An Overview

The broad topic of constitutional law deals with the interpretation and application of the United States Constitution. As the Constitution is the source of legal authority for the United States, questions of constitutional law often relate to fundamental questions of sovereignty and democracy. 

menu of sources

Federal Material

U.S. Constitution

Federal Judicial Decisions

Background:

State Material

State Constitutions

State Judicial Decisions

International Material

Collections of Other Constitutions

Other References

Key Internet Sources

Useful Offnet (or Subscription- $) Sources

Plyler v. Doe (1982)

Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202, is a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court struck down a Texas statute that denied funding to local school districts for the education of children who were not "legally admitted" into the United States, and which authorized local school districts to deny enrollment to such children.

political question doctrine

Overview

Political Question doctrine is the rule that Federal courts will refuse to hear a case if they find that it presents a political question. This doctrine refers to the idea that an issue is so politically charged that federal courts, which are typically viewed as the apolitical branch of government, should not hear the issue.

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