Why was Marbury v Madison an important Supreme Court case? (1 point)
• It created the Supreme Court
• It created the idea of judicial review
• It created Congressional oversight
• It created executive powers
The correct answer is: It created the idea of judicial review.
The correct answer is: It created the idea of judicial review.
Marbury v Madison is an important Supreme Court case because it established the concept of judicial review. This means that the Supreme Court has the power to interpret and determine the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress or actions taken by the executive branch. This landmark ruling in 1803 affirmed the Court's authority to strike down laws that are deemed unconstitutional.
The correct answer is: "It created the idea of judicial review."
To arrive at the answer, you need to have some knowledge of the case. Marbury v Madison was a landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1803. It involved William Marbury, who had been appointed as a justice of the peace by outgoing President John Adams. However, his commission had not been delivered by the time Thomas Jefferson became the new President, and his Secretary of State, James Madison, refused to deliver it.
When Marbury petitioned the Supreme Court to force Madison to deliver his commission, Chief Justice John Marshall delivered the Court's opinion. Marshall declared that Marbury did indeed have a right to his commission, but the Court did not have the power to enforce it. This may seem like a defeat for Marbury, but the more significant outcome of the case was that Marshall established the principle of judicial review.
By asserting that the Court had the power to strike down laws that were deemed unconstitutional, Marshall effectively positioned the judiciary as a co-equal branch of government alongside the executive and legislative branches. This momentous decision in Marbury v Madison granted the Supreme Court the authority to interpret the Constitution and declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. Consequently, this case solidified the concept of judicial review, which remains a vital cornerstone of American constitutional law to this day.