Gibbons v. ogden reinforced a. the bill of rights b. the states’ authority over the federal government c. the federal government’s authority over states d. ex post facto laws

C. the federal government’s authority over states

Explanation:

At the beginning of the 1800s, the New York state granted Robert Fulton and Robert R. Livingston a 20-year monopoly on steamboat navigation in state waters. Later on, Aaron Ogden purchased the rights to them in order to operate steamboats between New York City and New Jersey.

The problem began when Thomas Gibbons started to operate his steamboat on that same route without Fulton and Livingston's authority, which led Ogden to sue Gibson in 1819. In Court, Gibbons appealed alleging that he held a federal license (issued by an act of Congress) to do business there.

In the end, the case turned in Gibbons' favor: the Supreme Court determined that Fulton and Livingston' license was unconstitutional because federal law always should prevail over state laws and that the latter can not interfere with the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce (which is the only one that can regulate commerce). Therefore, this case reinforced the federal government’s authority over states