Which Supreme Court case upheld implied powers and federal supremacy?

Which Supreme Court case upheld implied powers and federal supremacy?

• A. McCulloch v. Maryland
• B. Dred Scott v. Sandford
• C. Brown v. Board of Education
• D. Citizens United v. FEC

Answer: (A)

Implied powers and federal supremacy are at the center here. The Constitution grants Congress explicit powers, but it also allows laws that are necessary and proper to carry out those powers, creating powers that aren’t listed outright. At the same time, the Supremacy Clause makes federal law the supreme law of the land, so state laws can't override or impede federal functions. In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Court ruled that Congress could create a national bank even though that specific institution isn’t listed among its enumerated powers, because a bank helps carry out Congress’s fiscal and regulatory powers and is a legitimate exercise of the Necessary and Proper Clause. The Court also held that Maryland could not tax the Bank, since doing so would interfere with federal operations and undermine federal supremacy. This case thus articulates both the idea of implied powers (necessary and proper to achieve constitutional ends) and federal supremacy over state actions. Other cases mentioned deal with different issues: Dred Scott v. Sandford concerns citizenship and slavery; Brown v. Board of Education concerns desegregation and equal protection; Citizens United v. FEC concerns campaign finance and free speech.

Implied powers and federal supremacy are at the center here. The Constitution grants Congress explicit powers, but it also allows laws that are necessary and proper to carry out those powers, creating powers that aren’t listed outright. At the same time, the Supremacy Clause makes federal law the supreme law of the land, so state laws can't override or impede federal functions.

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Court ruled that Congress could create a national bank even though that specific institution isn’t listed among its enumerated powers, because a bank helps carry out Congress’s fiscal and regulatory powers and is a legitimate exercise of the Necessary and Proper Clause. The Court also held that Maryland could not tax the Bank, since doing so would interfere with federal operations and undermine federal supremacy. This case thus articulates both the idea of implied powers (necessary and proper to achieve constitutional ends) and federal supremacy over state actions.

Other cases mentioned deal with different issues: Dred Scott v. Sandford concerns citizenship and slavery; Brown v. Board of Education concerns desegregation and equal protection; Citizens United v. FEC concerns campaign finance and free speech.