The Powers of Congress

Powers Granted to Congress Delegated powers give Congress the authority to make laws in five important areas –Financing Government –Regulating and Encouraging American Trade and Industry –Defending the Country –Enforcing laws –Providing for Growth

Powers Granted to Congress Financing Government –Congress has the authority to raise and collect taxes, borrow money, and print and coin money Regulating and Encouraging American Trade and Industry –Congress can regulate trade with foreign countries and among the states –Pass laws that protect the rights of inventors

Powers Granted to Congress Defending the Country –Congress has the power to declare war and to maintain an army and a navy Enforcing Laws –Congress can pass laws concerning such crimes as counterfeiting and treason –Congress establishes a system of national courts Providing for Growth –Congress has the power to regulate immigration and pass naturalization laws –Provide for admission of new states

Implied Powers Congress has the power “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers” –Known as the necessary and proper or elastic clause of the Constitution –It allows Congress to stretch the delegated powers listed in the Constitution to cover many other subjects –Powers claimed under the elastic clause are called implied powers

Power to Impeach Power to accuse high federal officials of serious crimes against the country –Including the President, Vice President and federal judges Also can bring them to trial Congress may remove these officials from office, if found guilty of serous crimes The process of drawing up and passing the list of charges is called impeachment –The Vice President or President of the Senate presides over the trial –Ex. Treason or betraying or endangering one’s country

Special Powers House has three special powers –The House alone can start impeachment proceedings –All bills for raising money must begin in the House –If no presidential candidate receives the number of electoral votes needed to be elected, House members choose the president

Special Powers The Senate has four special powers –All impeachment trials must be held in the Senate –If no vice-presidential candidate receives the number of electoral votes needed to be elected, then senators choose the vice president –All treaties, or written agreements, with foreign nations must be approved in the Senate by 2/3 vote –Certain high officials appointed by the President must be approved in the Senate by a majority vote

Limits on Powers Passing Ex Post Facto Laws –A law that applies to an action that occurred before the law was passed Passing Bills of Attainder –A law that sentences a person to prison without a trial Suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus –The writ is a court order requiring that the accused person be brought to court Taxing Exports –Goods sent to other countries our exports and a tax on exports would harm trade

Limits on Powers Passing Laws that Violate the Bill of Rights Favoring Trade of a State –Cannot pass laws giving a state or group of states an unfair trade advantage Granting Titles of Nobility –Congress cannot make a noble class or small group of persons with rights superior to those of other citizens Withdrawing Money Without a Law\ –Congress must provide the money for carrying out any new laws it passes

Other Roles of Congress One of the congress members’ most important duties is to serve their constituents –Constituents – the people in their home districts or states Power to conduct investigations –Either house of Congress may investigate national issues