Which of the following statements best hypothesizes why the constitution provides for expressed powers?
Congress needed the power to add amendments to the constitution in the future
Congress needed the power to pass laws involving taxation
Congress needed unlimited power so the framers provided for that
Congress needed sufficient power to govern but not limited power
Congress needed sufficient power to govern but not unlimited power
The statement that best hypothesizes why the constitution provides for expressed powers is that Congress needed sufficient power to govern but not unlimited power.
The statement that best hypothesizes why the constitution provides for expressed powers is - "Congress needed sufficient power to govern but not unlimited power."
To understand why this is the case, let's first clarify what expressed powers are. Expressed powers, also known as enumerated powers, are specific powers granted to Congress by the United States Constitution. These powers are explicitly listed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.
The framers of the Constitution aimed to strike a delicate balance between creating a strong central government and protecting the rights and autonomy of the individual states. They wanted to ensure that Congress had enough power to effectively govern the nation, but also wanted to prevent the government from becoming too powerful and infringing upon the rights of the people or the states.
By specifically listing the powers of Congress in the Constitution, the framers expressed their intent to limit the authority of the federal government to those powers explicitly granted. This means that Congress only has the authority to act in areas or issues that are explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. This ensures that Congress does not have unlimited power and helps to prevent potential abuse of authority.
Therefore, the Constitution provides for expressed powers to grant Congress sufficient power to govern, but also to set limits on its authority and protect the rights of individuals and states.