The Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) was pivotal in defining the power balance between state and federal governments in the U.S. It centered on the constitutionality of the Second Bank of the United States and Maryland's attempt to tax it. The unanimous decision reinforced federal supremacy and the implied powers of Congress, shaping the nation's federal system and influencing future legislative actions.
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The case emerged from a period of intense debate between those who supported a strong national government and those who championed states' rights
The First Bank of the United States
The First Bank, established in 1791, faced opposition and was not rechartered in 1811
The Second Bank of the United States
The economic turmoil following the War of 1812 led to the creation of the Second Bank in 1816
Maryland enacted a law imposing a prohibitive tax on the federal bank, leading to the legal battle that ascended to the Supreme Court
Maryland questioned the constitutionality of the federal bank and argued for its authority to tax any business within its territory
The Necessary and Proper Clause
The Court determined that Congress had the power to establish a federal bank as an implied power under the Necessary and Proper Clause
The Supremacy Clause
The Court found Maryland's tax on the federal bank to be unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause
The decision affirmed the federal government's ability to exercise implied powers and upheld the supremacy of federal law, expanding the scope of congressional authority
The ruling facilitated the growth of federal initiatives and the enactment of laws in areas not explicitly outlined in the Constitution
The ruling ensured that states could not invalidate federal measures or institutions
The case established the doctrine of implied powers and reinforced the principle of federal supremacy, shaping the development of a robust national government
00
The landmark ______ v. ______ (______) helped shape the U.S. federal system, involving a clash between proponents of a strong central government and advocates for states' rights.
McCulloch
Maryland
1819
01
After the ______ of 1812, economic instability led to the establishment of the ______ Bank of the United States in ______.
War
Second
1816
02
Ownership structure of the Second Bank of the United States
Mixed-ownership; federal government major shareholder.
