Powerful Federal Government

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In the beginning many argued how powerful should our federal government be. Many questions were raised on what instances did the federal government had the standing and precedence to act. Notable figures who disagreed were Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. The power of the nation expanded greatly between the years of 1789 and 1820. Economical policies by the treasury, decisions by the Supreme Court and the Acquisition of more territories resulted in more powerful federal government. Alexander Hamilton was the Secretary of the Treasury while George Washington was President and he was one of the main proponent to having a stronger federal government. One of policy that made the government stronger was when he allowed for it to pick …show more content…

The first of many was Marbury v. Madison. The Court formed the basis and established the exercise and practice of judicial review in the United States under the Constitution. The decision defined the boundary between the branches of the American form of government so it could provide the proper checks and balances. Many Anti-federalists disagreed stating that this decision would give the federal courts too much power and authority. They pointed that nothing in the Constitution established the power of judicial review. McCulloch v. Maryland was a case that decided if states had the power to tax national banks within their jurisdiction. The federal government had not asked for permission to open the bank in the state, and it was competing with banks established by the state. The state legislature then passed a law taxing all banks in Maryland that were not chartered by the state. The Court ruled that the United States government did have the right to establish a bank in Maryland and that the state of Maryland could not tax the bank for doing so. Cohens v. Virginia questioned if the Federal supreme court had to the right to review cases in the State Supreme Court. The court ruled that it had the authority decide all cases of every description under the laws of the United States.This case strengthened the federal Court 's jurisdiction. Another example of a court case that expand