McCulloch v. Maryland

Definition

A landmark Supreme Court decision from 1819 that ruled states couldn't tax federal institutions like National Bank, asserting national supremacy over state authority.

Analogy

Think of McCulloch v. Maryland as a parent-child relationship. The parent (federal government) has the final say and can override decisions made by the child (state). In this case, Maryland (the child) wanted to tax the National Bank (part of the federal government), but was told it couldn't.

Related terms

Federalism: A system in which power is divided between national and state governments.

National Supremacy Clause: Part of Article VI, Section 2 of the Constitution that mandates that national law is supreme to all other laws passed by states or any other subdivision of government.

State Sovereignty: The concept that states are in complete control within their territorial boundaries and can act independently from the dictates of the federal government.