Federal laws were superior to state laws
John Marshall is considered to have been a loose constructionist, rather than a strict constructionist. Marshall was the 4th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
John Marshall
Absolutely. Marshall was a loyal federalist who strongly believed in the value of the Constitution. As Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he helped ensure the Articles of the Constitution empowered the federal government.
Supreme Court to declare acts of Congress and state laws unconstitutional
This case allowed for a broad interpretation of the powers of the federal government.
Chief Justice John Marshall, who lead the Court from February 1801 until July 1835, the longest tenure of any Chief Justice in the history of the Court. Marshall made important interpretations of the Constitution that defined the relationships among the branches of the federal government, and the balance of power between the federal government and the states that are still relevant today.
The most valid generalization is probably that he increased the power of the federal government and subordinated states' rights to federal law.
John Marshall had a loose interpretation of the Constitution while Thomas Jefferson supposedly had a strict interpretation of it. John Marshall strongly believed in the elastic clause (the necessary and proper clause) which meant: "The Congress shall have Power - To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof". So he thought that if a law was needed, then it could be added and adjusted into the Constitution and one didn't have to stick to the exact words of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson supposedly had a strict construction of the Constitution, but his actions such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Embargo Act showed loose interpretations because neither one of those were written in the Constitution. He very rarely showed a strict interpretation where he stuck directly to the Constitution, so they really weren't that different in views even though in titles they were.
changed public policy through broad interpretation of the constitution
Chief Justice John Marshall tried unsuccessfully to get the federal government to protect the Cherokee Nation.
Chief Justice Marshall is best known for his opinion in Marbury v. Madison, (1803).