Carefully explain the background and the Court's ruling in Marbury v. Madison.

What will be an ideal response?

President John Adams lost his bid for reelection. He appointed a number of federalist justices to protect his party's views. Incoming Secretary of State James Madison noticed the paperwork for some of the appointments were incomplete. The new president, Jefferson, ordered Madison not to complete the paperwork, so Marbury was not given his appointment made my Adams. The case came to the Court via its original jurisdiction because that jurisdiction was enlarged by the Judiciary Act of 1789. The Court ruled, however, that, unlike its appellate jurisdiction, the original jurisdiction could not be modified. Therefore, the section of the Judiciary Act that enlarged the original jurisdiction was declared unconstitutional and the Court ruled that it simply could not rule in the case.