Enumerated powers are primarily powers of which level of government?

Enumerated powers are primarily powers of which level of government?

• A. The states
• B. The federal government
• C. The President
• D. Both state and federal equally

Answer: (B)

Enumerated powers are the explicit powers given to the national government by the Constitution. They are primarily powers of the federal government because they are listed as the authority Congress and the national government may exercise—things like coining money, regulating interstate commerce, declaring war, and raising armies. This explicit listing shows what the national government can do, while the states keep authority over matters not delegated to the federal government, a division reinforced by the Tenth Amendment. The President has important powers as the executive, but the idea of enumerated powers refers to the federal powers spelled out in the Constitution, not a shared or equal split with the states. Therefore, the federal government is the correct level for enumerated powers.

Enumerated powers are the explicit powers given to the national government by the Constitution. They are primarily powers of the federal government because they are listed as the authority Congress and the national government may exercise—things like coining money, regulating interstate commerce, declaring war, and raising armies. This explicit listing shows what the national government can do, while the states keep authority over matters not delegated to the federal government, a division reinforced by the Tenth Amendment. The President has important powers as the executive, but the idea of enumerated powers refers to the federal powers spelled out in the Constitution, not a shared or equal split with the states. Therefore, the federal government is the correct level for enumerated powers.