Difficulty: Hard

Average Score: 42%

This excerpt discussing the U.S. Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison (1803) is from an article published by the National Archives in 1995.
"A Law [opposed] to the Constitution is void. With these words written by Chief Justice Marshall, the Supreme Court for the first time declared unconstitutional a law passed by Congress and signed by the President. Nothing in the Constitution gave the Court this specific power. Marshall, however, believed that the Supreme Court should have a role equal to those of the other two branches of government. When James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a defense of the Constitution in The Federalist, they explained... "You must first enable government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."... The Constitution gave Congress the power to... remove officials, including judges or the President himself. The President was given the veto power to restrain Congress and the authority to appoint members of the Supreme Court.... [T]he role of the Supreme Court had not been defined. It therefore fell to a strong Chief Justice like Marshall to complete the triangular structure of checks and balances by establishing the principle of judicial review.

Based on the excerpt, which change was a result of the National Security Act of 1947?

Rationale

The Department of the Navy became part of the Department of Defense.

The National Security Act of 1947 established the Department of Defense, which unified the military branches under a single department, including the Department of the Navy, enhancing coordination and strategic capability during the Cold War.

A (The Central Intelligence Agency replaced the War Department.) YOUR ANSWER

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was created by the National Security Act of 1947, but it did not replace the War Department; rather, it was established as a separate entity to oversee intelligence activities. The War Department was reorganized into the Department of the Army, not replaced.

B (The National Security Council gained control over the Department of Defense.) YOUR ANSWER

The National Security Council (NSC) was established to advise the president on national security matters, but it does not have control over the Department of Defense. The NSC and the Department of Defense operate as separate bodies, each with distinct roles and responsibilities in U.S. national security.

C (The Department of Homeland Security replaced the War Department.) YOUR ANSWER

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created much later, in 2003, and it did not replace the War Department. The War Department was reorganized into the Department of Defense in 1947, long before the establishment of DHS.

D (The Department of the Navy became part of the Department of Defense.) CORRECT

This statement accurately reflects the outcome of the National Security Act of 1947, which consolidated military services, thereby incorporating the Department of the Navy within the newly formed Department of Defense, streamlining military command and operations.

Conclusion

The National Security Act of 1947 fundamentally reshaped U.S. military infrastructure by establishing the Department of Defense, which included the Department of the Navy. While other choices reference agencies and departments, they misrepresent the changes enacted by the Act. This restructuring aimed to enhance national defense efficiency during a critical period in global history.

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