The federal income tax was authorized in the Constitution by:

A. Article III.
B. The Preamble.
C. the Second Amendment.
D. the Sixteenth Amendment.

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Right.

The correct answer is D. the Sixteenth Amendment.

To arrive at this answer, you can follow these steps:

1. Start by understanding the question: The question is asking about the authorization of the federal income tax in the United States Constitution.

2. Recall the different articles of the US Constitution: The Constitution is divided into articles, each addressing a particular aspect of the government's structure and power.

3. Eliminate incorrect options: Review the options given and eliminate those that are obviously incorrect. For this question, you can eliminate options A, B, and C, as they refer to unrelated parts of the Constitution.

4. Focus on option D: The remaining option, D, refers to the Sixteenth Amendment. The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1913 and authorized the federal government to levy an income tax.

5. Verify your answer: To confirm your answer, you can cross-reference the information with reliable sources such as textbooks, government websites, or constitutional law experts.

Therefore, the correct answer is D. the Sixteenth Amendment.