How did the Supreme Court expand the power of the federal government during Monroe term as president? It gave the federal government the power to abolish slavery, they gave the federal government the power to acquire land in Central America, the federal government, the power to settle disputes over sectionalism, or it gave the federal government power to regulate the economy

Answer 1

During Monroe's presidency, the Supreme Court did not specifically expand the power of the federal government to abolish slavery, acquire land in Central America, settle disputes over sectionalism, or regulate the economy. However, the Supreme Court did make several significant decisions during this time that indirectly impacted the power of the federal government.

One such decision was McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), in which the Supreme Court established the principle of "implied powers" for the federal government. The case involved a dispute between the state of Maryland and the Bank of the United States. The Court ruled that the federal government had the power to create a national bank under the Constitution's necessary and proper clause, and that states could not interfere with federal institutions. This decision affirmed the authority of the federal government and its ability to exercise powers not explicitly granted in the Constitution.

Another important decision was Gibbons v. Ogden (1824), which established the federal government's power to regulate interstate commerce. The case involved a dispute between two steamship operators on the Hudson River. The Court ruled that only the federal government had the authority to regulate interstate commerce, rejecting New York's attempt to grant a monopoly to one of the operators. This decision broadened the power of the federal government to regulate economic activities that crossed state lines.

While these decisions did not directly address issues such as slavery or territorial expansion in Central America, they established important precedents that would later be relied upon to expand federal power in those areas.