the first battle over the implied powers of congress was fought over the creation of
a. an army
b. a direct tax
c. a national bank
d. a patent
d
C) a national bank
The correct answer is c. a national bank.
The first battle over the implied powers of Congress was fought over the creation of a national bank. This conflict arose during the early years of the United States when Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton proposed the establishment of a national bank. Hamilton believed that creating a national bank was necessary under the Constitution's "necessary and proper" clause, which granted Congress the authority to make laws that were necessary to carry out its enumerated powers. However, opponents, such as Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, argued that the creation of a national bank was not an enumerated power and therefore unconstitutional. This disagreement led to the first major debate over the implied powers of Congress. Ultimately, the Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland in 1819 established that Congress did have the power to create a national bank under its implied powers.
The first battle over the implied powers of Congress was fought over the creation of a national bank.
To arrive at this answer, we can break down the options and assess their historical context:
a. An army: The establishment of an army is not directly related to the implied powers of Congress. While it is true that Congress has the power to raise and support armies, the question specifically asks about the first battle over implied powers, which refers to a specific historical event.
b. A direct tax: While the power to lay and collect taxes is an enumerated power of Congress, the question specifies that the battle was over implied powers, which suggest that the issue at hand was not one of the explicitly granted powers.
c. A national bank: The establishment of a national bank pitted Alexander Hamilton, then Secretary of the Treasury, against Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State. Hamilton argued that the creation of a national bank fell under Congress's implied powers, while Jefferson believed that it exceeded their authority. This initial disagreement marked the first significant clash over implied powers in Congress.
d. A patent: The creation of patents, which grant exclusive rights to inventors, is not directly related to the implied powers of Congress. While Congress does have the authority to grant patents and copyrights, it does not represent the first battle over implied powers.
Therefore, the correct answer is c. a national bank.
Read carefully!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implied_powers