Which Chief Justice is associated with McCulloch v. Maryland and Marbury v. Madison?

• A. Oliver Wendell Holmes
• B. Roger B. Taney
• C. John Marshall
• D. Earl Warren

Answer: (C)

The focus here is the Supreme Court’s power to interpret the Constitution and shape the balance between national and state authority. John Marshall, as Chief Justice, is the figure most closely associated with both landmark cases. In Marbury v. Madison, Marshall wrote the opinion that established judicial review, giving the Court the authority to declare laws or official actions unconstitutional and to check Congress and the President. In McCulloch v. Maryland, he defended federal supremacy and the notion that Congress has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause, ruling that states cannot tax or impede the federal government. These decisions together solidified a strong national judiciary and a powerful federal government. The other names listed belong to different eras or issues in American constitutional history.