GRE Reading Comprehension
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Source: Kaplan
McCulloch v. Maryland was a critical decision made by the Supreme Court in 1819. The case concerned a Maryland state tax imposed on bank notes chartered outside Maryland.The tax was an attempt to restrict the Second Bank of the United States, a national bank chartered by members of Congress, whose head, James McCulloch, filed suit in response to the tax. The court found in favor of McCulloch, stating that |~a bank is a "proper and suitable instrument" in Congress's function to spend funds and impose taxes| and ordered the tax repealed. Although originally concerning a bank, the consequences of the holding extended further. By the holding, Chief Justice John Marshall set a precedent for what are now two fundamental principles of U.S. law concerning national government: that Congress possesses implied powers by the Constitution that allow the federal government to governeffectively, and that federal law supersedes state law.
Question List: 1 2
What is the purpose of the highlighted portion?
- A It describes a critical loss for states' rights advocates.
- B It describes the reasoning of the court's decision.
- C It describes an expansion of federal powers.
- D It describes the importance of a national bank.
- E It describes McCulloch's claim against the state of Maryland.