Katzenbach v. Morgan - Significance, Voting Rights Act Of 1965, A Plain And Consistent Act, Impact, Further Readings

Katzenbach v. Morgan - Further Readings

Katzenbach v. Morgan - Significance

The ruling reaffirmed certain powers of Congress by holding it can make laws overriding state laws on the same subject, regardless of the constitutionality of the state law. Congress, in specific, could prohibit enforcement of certain state English literacy voting requirements in New York. The ruling, however, also defined limits to Congress' authority under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. …

Katzenbach v. Morgan - Voting Rights Act Of 1965

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 represented the first time in U.S. history that Congress became involved in voting regulations. Key provisions of the act included prohibitions against states, or any of their political subdivisions, from denying any U.S. citizen the right to vote based on race or color through application of specific qualifications or standards. Seven southern states could not adopt …

Katzenbach v. Morgan - A Plain And Consistent Act

By a majority of 7-2, the Court reversed the lower court's ruling. Writing for the majority, Justice Brennan wrote that section 4(e) of the Voting Rights Act was a proper exercise of congressional power granted by the Fourteenth Amendment. Therefore, the New York English literacy requirement could not be enforced to the extent that it was inconsistent with section 4(e). Brennan wrote that any judi…

Katzenbach v. Morgan - Impact

The Morgan ruling found that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 properly extended equal protection guarantees to Puerto Ricans in New York. Precedence created by the ruling was seen as limited to situations where Congress remedied state actions denying equal protection. Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment was recognized as a positive grant of legislative power to Congress to determine when legislatio…