Which case struck down the 1990 Gun-Free School Zones Act as exceeding Congress's power under the Commerce Clause?

• A. U.S. v. Lopez
• B. United States v. Nixon
• C. Korematsu v. United States
• D. Plessy v. Ferguson

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how far Congress can reach under the Commerce Clause and when that power is limited. United States v. Lopez established that the 1990 Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded Congress’s authority because simply possessing a gun in a school zone is not an economic activity that substantially affects interstate commerce. The Court explained that the Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate channels of interstate commerce, instrumentalities, and activities with a substantial and direct link to economic activity crossing state lines, but a local possession of a gun in a school zone does not fit that standard. This decision signaled a reaffirmation of limits on federal power and a return of some regulatory authority to the states.

The other cases address different constitutional issues: United States v. Nixon focuses on executive privilege, Korematsu v. United States concerns wartime civil liberties and racial classifications, and Plessy v. Ferguson deals with racial segregation and the “separate but equal” doctrine.