Semester 2 Week 3

Credit: Kami Harris

 Black is the actual Constitution (Red is taken from Making of America by Cleon Skousen to help you understand what the Constitution means.)

Article I

Section 8. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties (a tax on goods, especially imports and exports), Imposts (a tax or other payment levied on goods brought into a country) and Excises(tax on goods for domestic market), to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; This provision gave the Congress the RIGHT to expend funds for all of the purposes itemized in Article I, section 8, provided that it was done for the general welfare of all the people and not for individuals or preferred groups.  Thomas Jefferson explained that this clause was not a grant of power to “spend” for the general welfare of the people, but was intended to “limit the power of taxation” to matters which provided for the welfare of “the Union” or the welfare of the whole nation.

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; 

To regulate Commerce (the large-scale buying and selling of goods and services) with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; 

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization (grant or require citizenship), and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; 

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; 

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; 

To establish Post Offices and post Roads; 

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive (only available to or used by one person, group, or organization) Right to their respective (relating separately to each one) Writings and Discoveries; 

To constitute Tribunals (courts) inferior to the supreme Court; 

To define and punish Piracies (robbery on the high seas) and Felonies (a serious crime such as murder that is punished more severely than a misdemeanor) committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations; 

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque (A letter of marque is a formal document which issued by a government to a citizen to allow him or her to seize goods or citizens of other nations. Letters of marque have historically been used as political tools, both to allow people to deal with private disputes and to engage with another nation without openly declaring war. Some countries still allow letters of marque to be issued, although most do not use the privilege; in other nations, letters of marque are no longer legal. The United States is one nation in which letters of marque are permitted, under the terms of the Constitution.) and Reprisal (a violent military action—the killing of prisoners or civilians, carried out in retaliation for an enemy’s action), and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; 

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation (a sum of money that has been set aside from a budget for a specific purpose) of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; 

To provide and maintain a Navy; 

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; 

To provide for calling forth the Militia (soldiers who are also civilians) to execute (perform action) the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections (rebellion) and repel Invasions; 

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress; 

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (area) (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession (giving up of something—especially land, property, or a right) of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection (construction) of Forts, Magazines (storehouse for military supplies), Arsenals (a stockpile of weapons and military equipment), dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And 

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing (previously mentioned) Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof. (This is known as the “Elastic Clause.”)