Marbury v. Madison remains one of the most significant Supreme Court cases in American history. Written in 1803 by Chief Justice John Marshall—a distant cousin of Thomas Jefferson—this decision established the principle of judicial review; that is, the power of the Court to declare legislative or executive acts unconstitutional. The result made the judiciary an independent branch of the federal government and completed the triangular system of checks and balances. We continue to feel its impact today.
In this live Q&A, Bill Barker, first-person interpreter of Thomas Jefferson, and John Ragosta, historian at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, discuss the enduring legacy of Marbury v. Madison, how the doctrine of judicial review has changed over time, and how Barker discusses these topics when he is “in character” as Jefferson.
