Mrs. Janiskee's AP U.S. Government and Politics Podcast

If Marbury v. Madison "promised" that the Supreme Court would exercise great authority in shaping the laws of the land, McCulloch v. Maryland fulfilled that promise for the first time. Arguably no other decision has so profoundly defined national power. McCulloch remains today a fundamental bedrock of American constitutional law.

In this episode Mrs. J walks you through another of your required documents for AP Government, Federalist 78. In this essay from the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton argues for the powers of the judicial branch of the federal government. He says that the best way to keep the Supreme Court (and other federal courts) independent from the other branches is through the lifetime appointments of its judges. Additionally, Hamilton argues that the chief power the Supreme Court is the power of judicial review.

Federalist 51 addresses the importance of checks and balances in defense of the United States Constitution.

In Federalist 10 James Madison argues that a large republic is the best way to control factions, to delegate authority to elected representatives, and to disperse power between the states and national government.

The Articles of Confederation was the document that governed the newly founded United States of America. However, the Articles were too weak in order to deal with United States affairs.