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Marbury v. Madison  

Definition

  • The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803) defined the nature of Judicial Review : the power of the federal courts to declare acts of Congress or the executive branch unconstitutional and therefore void and unenforceable. But the famous opinion on the matter rendered by Chief Justice John Marshall was, in fact, a tactical political maneuver to save face with his own party—the Federalists—and perhaps save himself from impeachment by the opposition party, the Democratic–Republicans (later renamed the Democrats). [Source: The U.S. Constitution A to Z; Marbury v. Madison]

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Date

  • 1803

URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/Marbury_v._Madison

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