preview

The Supreme Court 's Marbury V. Madison Essay

Decent Essays

In 1803, the Supreme Court’s Marbury v. Madison decision would forever alter the political framework of the United States. Resulting in the creation of judicial review—the power to determine if a piece of legislation is constitutional, that is, whether or not it infringes on the provisions of existing law —the Marbury v. Madison decision arguably made the judicial branch the most powerful division of the federal government. Today, judicial review is a fundamental part of American government, standing as a testament of the significance of the historical decision. By first analyzing the political history of the famous case and then by predicting its lasting political consequences, one will find that Marbury v. Madison secured a balance of power in American government that is integral to maintaining the ideologies of checks and balances and civil liberties. Likewise, political scholars will find that the judicial branch of government bears the greatest political responsibility, ultimately having the most influential power in the federal government. As a political arbitrator, the Supreme Court takes its place as the ultimate guardian of American democratic values; it supports the inimitable role of safeguarding American society from the ill will of the majority and also from the ill judgements of its sister branches.
The United States federal government was but a nascent political entity in 1800, its leaders still determining how best to manage the nation. Considering the

Get Access