South Carolina v. Katzenbach - Significance

Decided at the height of the civil rights movement, the Court's decision made it clear that Congress has broad power to enact legislation to dismantle state-created barriers to voting by minorities, and was part of a series of decisions recognizing the power of the national government to enact measures against both public and private discrimination.

Following the Civil War, Congress and the state legislatures adopted three amendments to the Constitution to ensure the full benefits of citizenship to the newly freed slaves. Among these amendments was the Fifteenth Amendment, which provides that "[t]he right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." The amendment also grants Congress the power to pass legislation to ensure that all citizens enjoy equally the right to vote.