TL;DR The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the U.S. federal system. It interprets the Constitution and has the final say on federal legal questions. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, but mostly hears appeals. Its decisions set precedent for all lower courts. It serves as a critical check on legislative and…
Pre‑1965 Roots & Antecedents 1789 / Early Republic: Voting qualifications left to states; many restricted voting to white male property owners. 1865–1870: 15th Amendment ratified to prohibit voting discrimination by race; Southern states soon undermined it with poll taxes and literacy tests. 1896 onward: Grandfather clauses and similar tools drastically reduced Black voter registration in…
TL;DR The Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It combines broad prohibitions (Section 2) with special oversight of jurisdictions with historic discrimination (Sections 4 & 5). Over time, key provisions have been narrowed—especially after Shelby County v. Holder (2013). Today, its role is…
