"Resolved, that the several States composing the United States of America, are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their general government; but that, by compact... they constituted a general government for special purposes... and that whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force." — Kentucky Resolutions, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, November 1798
Which constitutional claim is most clearly advanced in this passage?
- A
The Supreme Court is the exclusive arbiter of the constitutionality of federal statutes
- Bcheck_circle
The Constitution is a compact among states that retain authority to judge federal overreach
- C
Congress's enumerated powers include any measure conducive to the general welfare
- D
Federal supremacy under Article VI extends to all subjects of legislation
Explanation
Jefferson advanced the compact theory: states created the federal government and retain authority to declare unconstitutional acts void. The other options describe the contrary nationalist positions Jefferson explicitly rejected here.