Which statement best captures the McCulloch v. Maryland ruling on federal powers?

• A. The federal government is limited to enumerated powers.
• B. The federal government has no implied powers.
• C. The federal government has implied powers beyond enumerated powers.
• D. The federal government cannot charter a bank without a constitutional amendment.

Answer: (C)

This ruling shows that the federal government can exercise powers beyond what is explicitly listed in the Constitution when needed to carry out its duties. The Court held that Congress has implied powers through the Necessary and Proper Clause, which lets it establish institutions like a national bank as part of managing the nation’s finances, even though a bank isn’t expressly named in the text. Because federal law is supreme over state law, Maryland cannot tax a federal instrument like the national bank without undermining federal authority.

So, the best statement is that the federal government has implied powers beyond enumerated powers. The other ideas don’t fit because the decision rejects the idea that all federal power is strictly limited to enumerated powers, affirms the existence of implied powers, and shows that Congress can charter the bank without a constitutional amendment.