Final answer:
The 1803 Supreme Court decision in Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review, allowing the courts to strike down laws and government actions that conflicted with the Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 1803 decision of the United States Supreme Court in the case of Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review. In this landmark case, Chief Justice John Marshall declared that the courts have the power to strike down laws, statutes, and some government actions that they find to violate the Constitution of the United States.
The decision emphasized that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and helped to balance the power between the Legislative and Executive branches by ensuring that the Judiciary can also have a say in the constitutionality of their actions.
The case arose when William Marbury petitioned for his commission as a justice of the peace in the District of Columbia, which had not been delivered by the new Secretary of State, James Madison. The Supreme Court, led by Marshall, found that while Marbury was entitled to his commission, the court itself did not have the jurisdiction to order its delivery because the statute enabling Marbury to bring his claim to the Supreme Court was itself unconstitutional.
Therefore, the Marbury v. Madison case reinforced the influence and independence of the judiciary branch and affirmed that when the Constitution—the nation's highest law—conflicts with an act of the legislature, that act is invalid. This principle has been fundamental in shaping the role of the Supreme Court in United States history.