What was the long-term significance of the decision of Marbury v. Madison for the US government?

Answer 1

The Court decided that Marbury's request for a writ of mandamus was based on a law passed by Congress that the Court held to be unconstitutional. The Court decided unanimously (4-0) that the federal law contradicted the Constitution, and since the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land, it must reign supreme. Through this case, Chief Justice John Marshall established the power of judicial review: the power of the Court not only to interpret the constitutionality of a law or statute but also to carry out the process and enforce its decision.

This case is the Court's first elaborate statement of its power of judicial review. In language which remains relevant today, Chief Justice Marshall said, "lt is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is." Nowhere in the Constitution does the Court have the power that Chief Justice Marshall proclaimed. Despite there being no mention of such power in the Constitution, since 1803, our Nation has assumed the two chief principles of this case: that when there is a conflict between the Constitution and a federal or state law, the Constitution is supreme; and that it is the job of the Court to interpret the laws of the United States.

Case Citation:

Marbury v. Madison, 5 US 137 (1803)

Answer 2

The decision in Marbury affirmed the doctrine of judicial review (a check on Congress and the President) and helped establish the Judicial branch as co-equal to the Legislative and Executive branches of government.

Explanation

Marbury validated Article III of the US Constitution, which granted the Supreme Court the highest level of judicial power in the United States, and delineated which types of cases were properly part of the Court's appellate jurisdiction, and which part of its original jurisdiction.

Marshall's interpretation of Article III was that, as a co-equal and independent branch of the tripartite federal government, part of the Court's responsibility was judicial review, which allows the Supreme Court to analyze legislation and nullify any laws they determine to be unconstitutional.

In the case of Marbury v. Madison, (1803), the Marshall Court declared Section 13 of the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional because Congress had overreached their authority by attempting to make the Court responsible for all writs of mandamus. Marshall determined Marbury fell under its appellate jurisdiction, and that the case should be heard in the lower courts.

The doctrine of judicial review enabled the Court to check power of the Legislative and Executive branches by preventing them from imposing legislation that violated citizens' constitutional rights.

The decision expanded the power of the Supreme Court, and established the Judicial branch as co-equal to the Legislative and Executive branches.

Case Citation:

Marbury v. Madison, 5 US 137 (1803)

Answer 3

The significance of 1803 Marbury vs Madison decision was that the US Supreme Court held that Federal Laws could be nullified by the courts on constituional grounds. What was made absolutely clear was that the Constitution, on the evidence of its own text was the superior law.

Answer 4

Marbury v. Madison established the concept of judicial review. Judicial review is the right of the Supreme Court to declare a law constitutional or not.