Which statement best describes the relationship between federal and state authority as established in McCulloch v. Maryland?

• A. The federal government has implied powers and is supreme over states in areas of constitutional power.
• B. States are completely sovereign in all matters.
• C. The federal government operates only with explicit enumeration of powers.
• D. The Constitution prohibits any national bank.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the federal government can act beyond strictly listed powers if needed to carry out its constitutional duties, and federal authority takes precedence over state authority when there’s a conflict. McCulloch v. Maryland holds that Congress has powers implied by the Constitution's broad framework (not just those explicitly spelled out) to achieve its constitutional purposes. This is shown by upholding the creation of a national bank as a legitimate use of an implied power under the Necessary and Proper Clause, since a stable national financial system helps the government carry out its enumerated functions.

The ruling also reinforces that states cannot impede valid federal actions by taxing instruments of the national government, because the Supremacy Clause makes federal law the supreme law of the land. Put together, the statement that best describes the relationship is that the federal government has implied powers and is supreme over states in constitutional power.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: states aren’t completely sovereign in all matters, since federal authority can override state actions in areas of constitutional power; the federal government does not operate only with explicit enumeration—implied powers are recognized; and the Constitution does not prohibit a national bank.