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McDonald v. Chicago | Homework Help from the Bill of Rights Institute

Grade
6–12
Duration
4 min
Topics
Bill of Rights, Due Process, Federalism, Guns, Supreme Court
Published
Oct 6, 2019
Title slide for "McDonald v. Chicago" from the Bill of Rights Institute's homework help series.

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About this video

Does the Second Amendment prevent a city from effectively outlawing handgun ownership? In 2008, Otis McDonald attempted to purchase a handgun for self-defense purposes in a Chicago suburb. However, the city of Chicago had banned handgun ownership in 1982 when it passed a law that prevented issuing handgun registrations. McDonald argued this law violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Privileges and Immunities Clause as well as the Due Process Clause. In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that McDonald’s Second Amendment right to bear arms was protected at the state and local level by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

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