This is a law question.. Read the summary of Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United St

Question

This is a law question..

Read the summary of Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States in Chapter 2. Read the material on the Commerce Clause in Chap. 21 (on pp. 23-25 in the hard copy of the book). Answer the following questions.

Why was this case so important?

Why did the U.S. Supreme Court develop the “effects on interstate commerce” test?

Is most commerce considered “interstate commerce”? Why or why not?

First, type the question and then type your answer.

Second. After you type your answer, ask yourself: did I answer the question asked? Why did I answer it that way?

Third. Check our answers for spelling, punctuation & grammar.

Fourth. You can complete this assignment by doing the reading in the textbook that accompanies the excerpt from the case. No outside reading is necessary or required.

The Heart of Atlanta Motel, which was located in the state of Georgia, had 216 rooms available to guests. The motel was readily accessible to motorists using U.S. interstate highways 75 and 85 and Georgia state highways 23 and 41. The motel solicited patronage from outside the state of Georgia through various national advertising media, including magazines of national circulation. Approximately 75 percent of the motel’s registered guests were from out of state. The Heart of Atlanta Motel refused to rent rooms to blacks.

Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made it illegal for motels, hotels, and other public accommodations to discriminate against guests based on their race. After the act was passed, the Heart of Atlanta Motel continued to refuse to rent rooms to blacks. The owner-operator of the motel brought a declaratory relief action in U.S. district court, Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, to have the Civil Rights Act of 1964 declared unconstitutional. The plaintiff argued that Congress, in passing the act, had exceeded its powers to regulate interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The U.S. Supreme Court held that the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibited discrimination in accommodations properly regulated interstate commerce. In reaching its decision, the U.S. Supreme Court stated:

The power of Congress over interstate commerce is not confined to the regulation of commerce among the states. It extends to those activities intrastate which so affect interstate commerce or the exercise of the power of Congress over it as to make regulation of them appropriate means to the attainment of a legitimate end, the exercise of the granted power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce. One need only examine the evidence which we have discussed above to see that Congress may—as it has—prohibit racial discrimination by motels serving travelers, however “local” their operations may appear.

The U.S. Supreme Court held that the challenged provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were constitutional as a proper exercise of the commerce power of the federal government. Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, 379 U.S. 241, 85 S.Ct. 348, 13 L.Ed.2d 258, Web 1964 U.S. Lexis 2187 (Supreme Court of the United States)

Explanation / Answer

Why was this case so important?

- The case was a landmark judgment against a suit that challenged Civil rights act of 1964. The decision of Supreme Court established Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce. With the law in place, there was a strong tool to curb racial discrimination.

Why did the U.S. Supreme Court develop the “effects on interstate commerce” test?

- The U.S Supreme court developed the effects on interstate commerce test to give more power to the Congress in such matters. In the above case, the clients of the motel were mostly from other States and from diverse backgrounds. As per “effects on interstate commerce” test, the discrimination activity does not have to be limited to interstate commerce. Any local activity that affects interstate commerce is covered under federal laws.

Is most commerce considered “interstate commerce”? Why or why not?

- Not every commerce in the US can be considered interstate commerce. Hear of Atlanta was situated on State and National Highway and had customers from various states with different ethnicity. Most of the commerce would be interstate as companies have the presence in different States. However, there are certain business that is restricted to a local area and customers are restricted from that area.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse T
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.