Which two authorities ignored the Worcester v. Georgia ruling?

Which two authorities ignored the Worcester v. Georgia ruling?

• A. Georgia and President Jackson
• B. Congress and the Supreme Court
• C. The Secretary of War and Georgia
• D. The People and the Governor of Georgia

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is that a Supreme Court ruling only has real effect if those who can enforce it actually do so. Worcester v. Georgia declared that Georgia could not impose its laws on Cherokee lands and that the Cherokees retained certain sovereignty there. But enforcement of that decision depended on the federal government and the executive branch. Georgia officials continued to push for state authority in Cherokee territory, and President Andrew Jackson did not use federal power to back the Court’s decision. So the two authorities that effectively ignored the ruling were the state of Georgia and the President. Congress and the Supreme Court did not ignore it—the Court issued the ruling, and Congress did not take action to enforce or override it. The Secretary of War and Georgia is not the standard pairing for ignoring this decision.

The key idea here is that a Supreme Court ruling only has real effect if those who can enforce it actually do so. Worcester v. Georgia declared that Georgia could not impose its laws on Cherokee lands and that the Cherokees retained certain sovereignty there. But enforcement of that decision depended on the federal government and the executive branch. Georgia officials continued to push for state authority in Cherokee territory, and President Andrew Jackson did not use federal power to back the Court’s decision. So the two authorities that effectively ignored the ruling were the state of Georgia and the President. Congress and the Supreme Court did not ignore it—the Court issued the ruling, and Congress did not take action to enforce or override it. The Secretary of War and Georgia is not the standard pairing for ignoring this decision.