How did checks and balances play a role BEFORE the marbury vs. madison case?????
Checks and balances to that point dealt strictly between the Congress and the President. The President could veto laws, make appointments to the Judiciary, and call Congress back for special sessions, while Congress could override vetoes and block appointments. Even there, there wasn’t much. Washington vetoed two bills, neither overturned, and Adams vetoed none. The Supreme Court really did not have much of a role in governmental affairs. If you look at the list of the Supreme Court judges in the early years (until 1803), you’ll see a long list of judges who came and went. Washington appointed a dozen Supreme Court judges at a time where there were only five or six on the Court total. There wasn’t much to do, and it was a boring job. John Jay took the judiciary position offered by Washington mainly because it would afford him time to write. So, checks and balances were there, but didn’t really include the judiciary branch.
