Marbury v. Madison (1803) established which constitutional power?

Marbury v. Madison (1803) established which constitutional power?

• A. The power of the President to appoint justices
• B. The power of the states to determine constitutional validity
• C. Judicial Review
• D. The power of Congress to declare unconstitutional laws

Answer: (C)

Judicial review is the authority of the courts to interpret the Constitution and strike down laws or actions that conflict with it. Marbury v. Madison established this power for the Supreme Court, reinforcing that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and that the judiciary has the final say on constitutional validity. In that case, the Court ruled that a portion of the Judiciary Act extended the Court’s reach beyond what the Constitution allowed, so it could not grant Marbury relief and, in the process, set the precedent that laws contrary to the Constitution can be declared void. This is why judicial review is the core idea at play. The other options don’t fit because presidential appointment power concerns who fills the bench, states don’t have the federal authority to determine constitutional validity, and Congress cannot declare laws unconstitutional—the courts do.

Judicial review is the authority of the courts to interpret the Constitution and strike down laws or actions that conflict with it. Marbury v. Madison established this power for the Supreme Court, reinforcing that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and that the judiciary has the final say on constitutional validity. In that case, the Court ruled that a portion of the Judiciary Act extended the Court’s reach beyond what the Constitution allowed, so it could not grant Marbury relief and, in the process, set the precedent that laws contrary to the Constitution can be declared void. This is why judicial review is the core idea at play. The other options don’t fit because presidential appointment power concerns who fills the bench, states don’t have the federal authority to determine constitutional validity, and Congress cannot declare laws unconstitutional—the courts do.