McCulloch v. Maryland established which principle about federal power?

• A. State sovereignty and reserved powers
• B. Judicial activism
• C. Federal supremacy and implied powers
• D. Separation of powers

Answer: (C)

This item tests how federal power can extend beyond what is explicitly written in the Constitution and how federal law can take precedence over state law. In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court held that Congress has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause to create a national bank, even though such a bank isn’t enumerated in the Constitution. At the same time, the Court ruled that Maryland could not tax the bank because doing so would undermine federal authority and federal laws, illustrating that federal supremacy over state laws governs when conflicts arise. Because of these points, the correct principle is federal supremacy and implied powers. The other options don’t fit: this case isn’t about states’ ultimate sovereignty, judicial activism, or the separation of powers, but about the power of the federal government and its relation to states.