Flast v. Cohen (1967)
- Docket
- 416
- Decided
- 1967-01-01
- Category
- General
Summary
Question: Did Flast, as a taxpayer, have standing to sue the government's spending program? Conclusion: In an 8-to-1 decision, the Court rejected the government's argument that the constitutional scheme of separation of powers barred taxpayer suits against federal taxing and spending programs. In order to prove a "requisite personal stake" in such cases, taxpayers had to 1) establish a logical link between their status as taxpayers and the type of legislative enactment attacked, and 2) show the challenged enactment exceeded specific constitutional limitations imposed upon the exercise of Congressional taxing and spending power. The Court held that Flast had met both parts of the test.