Question

Which of the following group was most likely to oppose the Marbury v. Madison decision?

Answer 1

Assuming that the groups you have to choose from are:

• A. Believers in a strong national government
• B. Advocates for states' rights
• C. Supporters of abolition
• D. Proponents of western expansion

Believers in a strong national government (A) were most likely to oppose the Marbury v. Madison decision.

This famous 1803 Supreme Court case opposed William Marbury, backed by ex-President John Adams, and James Madison, backed by President Thomas Jefferson.

Adams was a Federalist, a believer in a centralized, national government.

Jefferson was a Democratic-Republican, a defender of states' rights (B), western expansion (D), and the abolition of slavery (C).

Marbury v. Madison was won by the Democratic-Republicans, because the Supreme Court ruled that Madison had a right to prevent Marbury from getting the job he wanted as a justice of the peace commissioned by the former president.