President Andrew Jackson is said to have responded to the Supreme Court's ruling in Worcester v. Georgia with the words "[Chief Justice] John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!" Which of the following best explains the meaning of this statement?

Question

(1 point)

The Supreme Court favored Georgia over the Cherokee people, so its decision was not valid.

The Supreme Court does not have the power to enforce its decision, so President Jackson could ignore it.

According to the Constitution, the president has the power to deal with Native Americans, not the Supreme Court

The president is responsible for enforcing the law, including decisions made by the Supreme Court.

Answer 1

The best explanation for President Andrew Jackson's statement, "[Chief Justice] John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!" is:

The Supreme Court does not have the power to enforce its decision, so President Jackson could ignore it.

This statement illustrates Jackson's view that the enforcement of Supreme Court decisions relies on the executive branch, and he was effectively indicating that he would not use federal power to enforce the Court's ruling in favor of the Cherokee Nation against Georgia.