What Supreme Court case established that federal laws have supremacy over state laws?
Asked by: Meda Murazik IV | Last update: February 7, 2026Score: 5/5 (22 votes)
The Supreme Court case that established federal laws' supremacy over state laws is McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), where the Court, under Chief Justice John Marshall, ruled that states could not tax the national bank, affirming the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and implied federal powers. This landmark decision reinforced that when federal and state laws conflict, federal law prevails, a core principle of American constitutional law.
Which Supreme Court case established that federal laws have supremacy over state laws?
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) is the U.S. Supreme Court case that defined the scope of the federal legislative power and the federal government's relationship with state governmental authority.
What did the McCulloch v. Maryland case establish?
The court decided that the Federal Government had the right and power to set up a Federal bank and that states did not have the power to tax the Federal Government. Marshall ruled in favor of the Federal Government and concluded, “the power to tax involves the power to destroy."
What was the Baker v. Carr case about?
Carr. Baker v. Carr involved a claim that the Tennessee legislature had failed to reapportion the state's legislative districts in accordance with the state constitution.
What did the Marbury v. Madison case establish?
With his decision in Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall established the principle of judicial review, an important addition to the system of “checks and balances” created to prevent any one branch of the Federal Government from becoming too powerful.
State Law Versus Federal Law
Which two laws did the Supreme Court declare to be unconstitutional?
The Supreme Court declared two major New Deal laws unconstitutional: the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) in 1935 and the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) in 1936, striking down federal overreach in economic regulation, followed by rulings against state laws like minimum wage, leading to intense conflict with President Roosevelt.
What principle did the Supreme Court establish in the McCulloch case?
Maryland, 17 U.S. 316 (1819) States cannot interfere with the federal government when it uses its implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause to further its express constitutional powers.
What is the importance of the Supreme Court case Reynolds v. Sims and Baker v. Carr?
Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that the single-seat electoral districts of state legislative chambers must be roughly equal in population. Along with Baker v. Carr (1962) and Wesberry v.
Why was the Civil Rights Act of 1875 deemed unconstitutional?
The Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional in 1883. In a consolidated case, known as the Civil Rights Cases, the court found that the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution granted Congress the right to regulate the behavior of states, not individuals.
What was the constitutional question in Reynolds v United States?
Summary. Reynolds was decided in a time of westward expansion and the growth of the Mormon Church, particularly in Utah. The question raised was whether sincere religious beliefs exempted a practicing member of the Mormon Church from the laws against polygamy.
What landmark Supreme Court case established the principle that the national government is supreme?
The landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle that the national government is supreme is C. McCulloch v. Maryland. This key decision occurred in 1819 and confirmed that federal law takes precedence over state law under the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.
What did the Supreme Court decide in McCulloch v. Maryland 1819 Quizlet?
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) ruled that states cannot tax federal institutions, establishing federal law supremacy and confirming Congress has implied powers (Necessary and Proper Clause) to create a national bank, even if not explicitly listed in the Constitution, thus strengthening federal power over states.
What is the legacy of McCulloch v. Maryland?
The ruling established that national sovereignty is supreme over state authority, particularly when conflicts arise, thereby limiting states' powers to tax federal entities.
How did Supreme Court decisions assert that federal laws take precedence over state laws?
The Supreme Court relied on the Supremacy Clause to hold that the federal law controlled and could not be nullified by state statutes or officials. In Edgar v. MITE Corp., 457 U.S. 624 (1982), the Supreme Court ruled: "A state statute is void to the extent that it actually conflicts with a valid Federal statute".
Did McCulloch v. Maryland establish the Supremacy Clause?
Maryland . In McCulloch, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote that the supremacy clause unequivocally states that the “Constitution, and the Laws of the United States … shall be the supreme Law of the Land.” Closed captions available in English and Spanish.
What is the supremacy of federal law over state law?
The Supremacy Clause refers to the foundational principle that, in general, federal law takes precedence over any conflicting state law.
What did the Supreme Court declare unconstitutional in 1883?
In 1883, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1875, forbidding discrimination in hotels, trains, and other public spaces, was unconstitutional and not authorized by the 13th or 14th Amendments of the Constitution.
What happened in 1875 in the US?
March 1 – The United States Congress passes the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in public accommodations and jury duty. President Grant authorizes issue of a twenty-cent piece (abolished 3 years later). The Page Act of 1875 is enacted.
What is an example of an unconstitutional law?
The Judiciary Act of 1789 is unconstitutional because it gives the judicial branch too much power outside the Constitution. The Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to rule on the court case because the law that gave it the authority has been found unconstitutional.
Which of the following Supreme Court cases involved the principle of one person one vote?
In Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964), this Court held that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment includes a "one-person, one-vote" principle.
How did the 1964 Supreme Court case of Reynolds v. Sims impact state legislatures?
Reynolds v. Sims is a 1964 Supreme Court case holding that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires seats in a state legislature to be apportioned so that one vote equals one person residing in each state legislative district.
What is 377 in the Supreme Court?
In 2018, after decades of grassroots activism, the application of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to private consensual sex between men was ruled unconstitutional by India's Supreme Court, effectively decriminalizing homosexual activity.
How did the Supreme Court case of Gibbons v. Ogden influence federalism?
In this decision, Chief Justice John Marshall's Court ruled that Congress has the power to “regulate commerce” and that federal law takes precedence over state laws.
What did the Supreme Court declare in McCulloch v. Maryland quizlet?
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) ruled that states cannot tax federal institutions, establishing federal law supremacy and confirming Congress has implied powers (Necessary and Proper Clause) to create a national bank, even if not explicitly listed in the Constitution, thus strengthening federal power over states.
What is the most impactful Supreme Court case?
Importance: The Brown decision is heralded as a landmark decision in Supreme Court history, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) which had created the "separate but equal" doctrine.