Printz v. United States

United States Supreme Court

521 U.S. 898 (1997)

Relevant factsFree

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (defendant's law) temporarily required county Chief Law Enforcement Officers (CLEOs), including Printz and Mack (plaintiffs) in Montana and Arizona, to conduct background checks on prospective handgun purchasers until a national system was implemented; the district court found this interim CLEO mandate unconstitutional but severable, while the Ninth Circuit reversed and upheld the entire interim scheme.

IssueFree

Whether Congress may compel state officials to participate in the administration of federal programs.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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