History
Judicial Review and the Power of Constitutional Interpretation
Quick fact
The U.S. Supreme Court did not explicitly declare any federal law unconstitutional until Marbury v. Madison (1803), more than a decade after the Constitution was adopted.
Why this is interesting
In a democracy, what happens if the government passes a law that violates the Constitution? Who decides that it's unconstitutional? The surprising answer: not the elected leaders, but unelected judges.