What best describes Marshall's jurisprudence regarding the Constitution?

• A. Strict textualism
• B. Originalism
• C. Broad interpretation of the Constitution
• D. Judicial restraint

Answer: (C)

Marshall’s approach treats the Constitution as a framework that supports a strong national government with powers that extend beyond what is written in the text, whenever necessary to carry out federal duties. He relied on implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause and argued for the supremacy of federal law over state law, a view that comes out clearly in decisions like McCulloch v. Maryland, where Congress’s power to charter a national bank was upheld and states were barred from taxing it. In Gibbons v. Ogden, he defined commerce broadly to include many forms of economic activity, allowing Congress to regulate interstate trade. These choices show a broad interpretation of the Constitution, emphasizing national power and functional purposes over a narrow, word-for-word reading or solely the framers’ original intent, and they also contrast with the idea of judicial restraint that defers to legislative judgments. This broad, flexible reading helped establish a stronger federal government in the early republic.