What did Chief Justice Marshall mean by the phrase 'the power to tax involves the power to destroy'?
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Correct answer: A state tax could weaken or eliminate a federal institution
Marshall warned that if states could tax federal institutions, they could use taxation to undermine them. This supported the conclusion that Maryland could not tax the national bank.
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More McCulloch v. Maryland questions
- How did McCulloch v. Maryland affect the balance of power between the federal government and the states?
- Which broader constitutional doctrine was strongly reinforced by McCulloch v. Maryland?
- Why did the Court reject a strict reading of Congress's powers in McCulloch v. Maryland?
- Which enumerated congressional powers helped justify the creation of the national bank?
- What was James McCulloch's role in the case?
- What would have been a likely consequence if Maryland had won McCulloch v. Maryland?