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Difficulty: MediumThe Marshall Court and Judicial Nationalism

"The government of the Union, then, though limited in its powers, is supreme within its sphere of action. It is the government of all; its powers are delegated by all; it represents all, and acts for all... The nation, on those subjects on which it can act, must necessarily bind its component parts. But this question is not left to mere reason: the people have, in express terms, decided it, by saying, 'this Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof... shall be the supreme law of the land.'"
— Chief Justice John Marshall, majority opinion, 1819

Which of the following historical developments was a direct consequence of the Supreme Court decision excerpted above?

  1. A
    It resolved the long-standing debate over the national bank by ruling that Congress could only exercise powers explicitly listed in the Constitution.
  2. It established that state governments could not tax or otherwise obstruct constitutionally enacted federal institutions.Answer
  3. C
    It limited federal authority by ruling that states retained the exclusive right to charter corporations and banks.
  4. D
    It restored the decentralized balance of power characteristic of the Articles of Confederation by granting states the power of nullification.

Answer

The Supreme Court decision established that state governments could not tax or otherwise obstruct constitutionally enacted federal institutions.
The correct answer is correct because Chief Justice John Marshall's majority opinion in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) affirmed the constitutionality of the Second Bank of the United States under the 'necessary and proper' clause and asserted that federal laws are supreme over state laws. Therefore, Maryland could not tax the federal bank, establishing that states cannot obstruct or destroy legitimate federal entities.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the historical document and the Supreme Court case.
The text is an excerpt from Chief Justice John Marshall's majority opinion in the 1819 case McCulloch v. Maryland.
Recognizing the case context is necessary to apply the correct constitutional principles established by the ruling.
2
Analyze the core constitutional argument in the excerpt.
Marshall argues that the federal government is supreme within its sphere of action, and that its laws, when aligned with the Constitution, bind the states.
This establishes the Court's stance on federal supremacy over state sovereignty.
3
Evaluate the historical consequences of the decision.
The ruling validated the constitutionality of the Second Bank of the United States and prohibited the state of Maryland from taxing it, establishing that states cannot impede legitimate federal operations.
Connecting the constitutional interpretation to its historical impact determines the correct consequence.

Key Concept

Federal supremacy and the constitutional validation of implied powers under the Marshall Court.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The Marshall Court and Judicial Nationalism

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