Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war. The President, meanwhile, derives the power to direct the military after a Congressional declaration of war from Article II, Section 2, which names the...
the Constitution
warrantless
Warrantless means that government officers carry out a search or arrest without a warrant or any other legal authorization. The requirement of a warrant serves to protect individuals’ privacy interests against unreasonable governmental...
Washington DC Voting Rights Amendment
The Washington D.C. Voting Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment by Congress in 1978 to the U.S. Constitution giving Washington D.C. similar representation to states in the national government. Currently, as set out in the 23rd amendment...
Watkins v. United States (1957)
Watkins v. United States (1957) is the U.S. Supreme Court case holding that the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment limits Congress’s ability to conduct investigations, namely its ability to require testimony on inquiries unrelated to...
Woodson v. North Carolina (1976)
Woodson v. North Carolina (1976) is the U.S. Supreme Court case holding that North Carolina’s mandatory death penalty for individuals convicted of first-degree murder violated the Eighth Amendment. Find the full opinion here.
...writ of coram nobis
The writ of coram nobis is a Latin term applied in common law to call to the court’s attention facts that would have changed the judgment but were outside the record and unknown to the court at the time of judgment. The writ of coram nobis is...
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952)
Youngstown Sheet & Tube v. Sawyer, 342 U.S. 579 (1952) was a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court had to decide on the applicability of the President's national security powers on seizing private property. President Truman had ordered the...