The Effects Of The U.S. Supreme Court On Today's Sociopolitical Structure

7 Pages 1761 Words

tution is absolutely void' " (107).

The idea of judicial review, which gave to the Courts the ability to declare acts of legislation unconstitutional, seemed to be intended by the Framers of the Constitution and Chief Justice John Marshall's decision handed down in Marbury v. Madison appeared to entrench its presence in the political and legal aspects of America. This ruling, which declared ?executive officials? subject to judicial review upon breach of legal obligations, provided an indispensable precedent compelling all government officials to remain within the confines of their constitutional boundaries while carrying out their prescribed duties (Cox 11).
During the conflict that arose under the case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), even opposing sides could agree upon the fact that ? the Constitution should be construed according to conventional rules of interpretation? (Levy 10). But it was not so unanimously agreed that the Constitution should come under interpretation subject only to the policy preferences of those in office. This principle was argued after Chief Justice Marshall handed down his opinion, which some say completely ignored the known intentions of the Framers. McCulloch v. Maryland confronted the issue of whether or not the states could tax the Federal Bank and ultimately declare...