The early chief justice whose decisions generally gave the broadest possible sweep to federal powers was

• A. John Marshall
• B. Roger Taney
• C. Frederick Vinson
• D. Alexander Hamilton

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how a chief justice can expand the national government’s power through constitutional interpretation. John Marshall used his opinions to broaden federal authority in several landmark ways. In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Court held that Congress has powers beyond those listed in the Constitution if they are necessary and proper to carry out its constitutional powers, establishing federal supremacy over the states and supporting implied powers. In Gibbons v. Ogden, the Court extended federal reach by affirming that Congress can regulate interstate commerce, reinforcing national regulatory power. Marbury v. Madison also strengthened the federal judiciary’s role in interpreting the Constitution, which helped consolidate federal authority more generally.

Roger Taney’s era, by contrast, is associated with decisions that often favored states’ rights and limited federal power, such as the Dred Scott decision. Frederick Vinson served much later, in a different era of the Court, with a different trajectory. Alexander Hamilton was not a chief justice at all, though he advocated a strong national government as a founding figure. So the chief justice whose decisions broadly expanded federal power is John Marshall.