Florida Civic Literacy Practice Exam

District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) was a landmark Supreme Court case that had significant implications for Second Amendment rights in the United States. The ruling held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for self-defense within the home, thereby confirming that individuals have a personal right to bear arms, independent of service in a militia.

The decision notably impacted states' rights because it established that the Second Amendment applies at the federal and state levels, limiting the extent to which states can impose restrictions on this right. This interpretation effectively means that states cannot enact laws that infringe upon an individual's right to own and carry firearms for lawful purposes, like self-defense, thereby reducing the ability of states to regulate gun ownership more stringently.

Thus, the ruling specifically constrains state laws that could undermine this constitutional right, clarifying that while states still have some authority to regulate firearms, their power to impose certain restrictions on Second Amendment rights is significantly lessened following this Supreme Court decision.