What was the central question in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964), and what did the Supreme Court decide?

• A. The central question was whether private clubs could exclude members based on race.
• B. The central question was whether the Civil Rights Act could regulate private accommodations; Court upheld federal power to prohibit racial discrimination in public inns and motels.
• C. The central question was whether the federal government could regulate interstate commerce in manufacturing goods.
• D. Whether states could restrict travel to private accommodations.

Answer: (B)

The question tests how federal power to regulate interstate commerce extends to private businesses that serve the public. In Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, the issue was whether the Civil Rights Act could regulate private accommodations like a motel that refused service to Black people. The Supreme Court said yes. It held that prohibiting racial discrimination in public inns and motels falls within Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce, because hotels and similar establishments serve travelers crossing state lines and their treatment of customers affects the flow of goods and people across state boundaries. This ruling upheld the constitutionality of Title II of the Civil Rights Act, confirming that the federal government can use the Commerce Clause to ban racial segregation in public accommodations.

The other options miss the focus: the case wasn’t about excluding members from private clubs, wasn’t about regulating manufacturing commerce, and wasn’t about states restricting travel.