U.S. Citizenship Civics TestSystem of GovernmentHard
A civics student is learning about the different types of legislative powers held by the U.S. Congress. Which of the following is an example of an 'expressed' or 'enumerated' power of Congress?
- ARegulating interstate commerce.
- BCreating a national curriculum for all public schools (reserved power of states).
- CEstablishing a national bank (implied power).
- DDeclaring a state of emergency within a single state (executive or state power).
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Regulating interstate commerce.
Expressed or enumerated powers are those explicitly listed in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The power to 'regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes' is clearly stated there.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Education policy is largely a reserved power of the states, not an expressed power of the federal Congress.
- C. Establishing a national bank is an implied power, derived from expressed powers like taxing and borrowing money (McCulloch v. Maryland).
- D. Declaring state-specific emergencies is typically a power of state governors or the President under specific federal laws, not an enumerated power for Congress to do directly within a state.
Expressed (Enumerated) Powers of Congress
Specific powers granted to the U.S. Congress explicitly listed in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.
- Explicitly written in the Constitution.
- Examples: declare war, coin money, regulate commerce.
- Forms the basis for federal legislative authority.
Memory trick: Expressed Powers: 'Explicitly written, explicitly permitted!'