Foundational Documents Explained: Letter from a Birmingham Jail

McCulloch v. Maryland/ Marbury v, Madison

If Marbury v. Madison "promised" that the Supreme Court would exercise great authority in shaping the laws of the land, McCulloch v. Maryland fulfilled that promise for the first time. Arguably no other decision has so profoundly defined national power. McCulloch remains today a fundamental bedrock of American constitutional law.

Foundational Documents Explained: Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail while he was imprisoned for leading nonviolent civil rights demonstrations in Alabama in 1963. The Letter from Birmingham Jail explains why MLK believed people had a responsibility to follow just laws and a duty to break unjust ones.

Foundational Documents Explained:Federalist 78

In this episode Mrs. J walks you through another of your required documents for AP Government, Federalist 78. In this essay from the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton argues for the powers of the judicial branch of the federal government. He says that the best way to keep the Supreme Court (and other federal courts) independent from the other branches is through the lifetime appointments of its judges. Additionally, Hamilton argues that the chief power the Supreme Court is the power of judicial review.

Foundational Documents Explained- Federalist 70

Federalist 70 argues in favor of the unitary executive created by Article II of the United States Constitution. According to Alexander Hamilton, a unitary executive is necessary to: ensure accountability in government.

Foundational Documents Explained-Federalist 51

Federalist 51 addresses the importance of checks and balances in defense of the United States Constitution.