McCulloch v. Maryland

US Supreme Court decision of 1819 that affirmed that Congress has the ‘implied powers’ necessary to achieve the powers expressly granted to it by the US Constitution. In this case, the implied power involved the incorporation of a national bank. This case strengthened the power of the federal government over the states.

The ruling gave Congress the power to create a national bank, because although the Constitution does not specify Congressional power to create banks, Congress needs banks to exercise its specified powers, such as tax collection.