What is a significant outcome of Marbury v. Madison?

The outcome of Marbury v. Madison is significant because it established the principle of judicial review, which allows the Supreme Court to invalidate laws and actions of Congress that are found to be unconstitutional. This landmark case, decided in 1803, arose from a political conflict and addressed whether William Marbury, who had not received his commission as a justice of the peace, was entitled to bring his claim to the Supreme Court.

The decision, authored by Chief Justice John Marshall, affirmed the ability of the judiciary to review and overrule both legislative and executive actions. This created a system of checks and balances among the branches of government and reinforced the judiciary's role as a co-equal branch, standing as a guardian of the Constitution. Judicial review has since allowed the courts to protect individual rights and maintain the rule of law by ensuring that legislative actions comply with constitutional principles.

Other options, while significant in their own context, do not pertain directly to the outcomes or implications of Marbury v. Madison. For instance, the establishment of the right to vote relates to suffrage movements much later in history, the definition of interstate commerce pertains to regulatory powers under commerce clauses, and separation of church and state concerns the First Amendment's religious clauses. None of these are