Katzenbach, Attorney General, et al. v. Morgan et Ux.

Decided June 13, 1966. William Joseph Brennan Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 847 · 384 U.S. 641 (1966) · Cited 759 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 7–2.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Lassiter v. Northampton County Board of Elections · 360 U.S. 45 (1959)
• South Carolina v. Katzenbach · 383 U.S. 301 (1966)
• Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States · 379 U.S. 241 (1964)
• Ex Parte Virginia · 100 U.S. 339 (1880)
• Carrington v. Rash · 380 U.S. 89 (1965)
• Minor v. Happersett · 88 U.S. 162 (1875)
• Reynolds v. Sims · 377 U.S. 533 (1964)
• Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections · 383 U.S. 663 (1966)
• Strauder v. West Virginia · 100 U.S. 303 (1880)
• Katzenbach v. McClung · 379 U.S. 294 (1964)
• Yick Wo v. Hopkins · 118 U.S. 356 (1886)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. · 348 U.S. 483 (1955)
• Thornhill v. Alabama · 310 U.S. 88 (1940)
• United States v. Classic · 313 U.S. 299 (1941)
• Lindsley v. Natural Carbonic Gas Co. · 220 U.S. 61 (1911)
• Thomas v. Collins · 323 U.S. 516 (1945)
• United States v. Raines · 362 U.S. 17 (1960)
• United States v. Darby · 312 U.S. 100 (1941)
• United States v. Carolene Products Co. · 304 U.S. 144 (1938)
• Ex Parte Yarbrough · 110 U.S. 651 (1884)
• Virginia v. Rives · 100 U.S. 313 (1880)
• Houston, East & West Texas Railway Co. v. United States · 234 U.S. 342 (1914)
• Fay v. New York · 332 U.S. 261 (1947)
• Louisiana v. United States · 380 U.S. 145 (1965)
• United States v. Mississippi · 380 U.S. 128 (1965)
• Semler v. Oregon State Board of Dental Examiners · 294 U.S. 608 (1935)
• Powell v. Pennsylvania · 127 U.S. 678 (1888)
• The Propeller Genesee Chief v. Fitzhugh · 53 U.S. 443 (1852)
• Clyatt v. United States · 197 U.S. 207 (1905)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Oregon v. Mitchell · 400 U.S. 112 (1970)
• Tennessee v. Lane · 541 U.S. 509 (2004)
• Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs · 538 U.S. 721 (2003)
• Board of Trustees of Univ. of Ala. v. Garrett · 531 U.S. 356 (2001)
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez · 411 U.S. 1 (1973)
• City of Boerne v. Flores · 521 U.S. 507 (1997)
• City of Rome v. United States · 446 U.S. 156 (1980)
• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke · 438 U.S. 265 (1978)
• Fullilove v. Klutznick · 448 U.S. 448 (1980)
• United States v. Morrison · 529 U.S. 598 (2000)
• City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson Co. · 488 U.S. 469 (1989)
• Buckley v. Valeo · 424 U.S. 1 (1976)
• Welsh v. United States · 398 U.S. 333 (1970)
• Shelby County v. Holder · 570 U.S. 529 (2013)
• Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co. · 398 U.S. 144 (1970)
• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• City of New Orleans v. Dukes · 427 U.S. 297 (1976)
• Fitzpatrick v. Bitzer · 427 U.S. 445 (1976)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 451 U.S. 1 (1981)
• Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena · 515 U.S. 200 (1995)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Wyoming · 460 U.S. 226 (1983)
• Missouri v. Jenkins · 515 U.S. 70 (1995)
• Dandridge v. Williams · 397 U.S. 471 (1970)
• California v. Green · 399 U.S. 149 (1970)
• Griffin v. Breckenridge · 403 U.S. 88 (1971)
• Heller v. Doe Ex Rel. Doe · 509 U.S. 312 (1993)
• McDonald v. City of Chicago · 561 U.S. 742 (2010)
• Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents · 528 U.S. 62 (2000)
• Smith v. Goguen · 415 U.S. 566 (1974)
• Frontiero v. Richardson · 411 U.S. 677 (1973)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).