The Second Amendment: lesson overview

Since the 1960s, the issue of gun control legislation has continued to surface in Congress and the Supreme Court. The Court has been consistent in its commitment to individual liberty, upholding an individual’s right to own a gun with little to no government interference. The Supreme Court will most likely continue to hear cases that question the balance between the government’s power to pass gun control legislation and the individual liberty to own guns with limited restrictions.

The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment

In recent decades, states have attempted to pass gun control legislation that would limit an individual’s access to guns or to particular types of guns. Between 1791 and 2007, the Supreme Court issued rulings on four cases dealing with the Second Amendment. Since 2008, the Supreme Court has issued rulings on two landmark cases: District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010).

In both District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010), the Court struck down laws that placed restrictions on gun ownership. The majority in both cases argued that gun control legislation gave the government too much power and violated individual liberties.

Why do these cases matter?

The importance of McDonald v. Chicago has to do with the fact that Constitutional rights don't automatically apply to state and local governments. Even though the decision in DC v. Heller had granted individuals the right to own operative handguns in their homes in the District of Columbia, it was the McDonald decision that extended this right to state and local governments. The decision was based on the principle of "selective incorporation" of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. We'll discuss this principle more in a future lesson.

What does the Second Amendment protect?

When hearing cases on the Second Amendment, how has the Supreme Court balanced the power of the government and the individual right to bear arms?

Using examples from TWO specific rulings, compare how the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment has shown a commitment to individual liberty in different ways.