1. Political Cartoons
Please look at all six political cartoons. In your notebook, please answer the following questions in complete sentences.
What do these cartoons say about the views Americans might have about Congress?
What evidence in the cartoons helped you reach that answer?

2. Cartoon 1

3. Cartoon 2

4. Cartoon 3

5. Cartoon 4

6. Cartoon 5

7. Cartoon 6

8. Expressed, Implied, and Inherent
Powers of Congress
Expressed, Implied, and Inherent

9. What are the powers of Congress?
Essential Question
What are the powers of Congress?

10. Expressed Powers
Expressed Powers: powers that are clearly written into the Constitution
Also known as Enumerated powers
Every branch has expressed powers
Congress’ expressed powers are found in Article I, Section 8
Example: Congress has the power to establish Post Offices and post Roads…

11. Implied Powers
Implied Powers: powers that are not specifically stated in the Constitution but are suggested or “implied” by the expressed powers
Come from others clauses in the Constitution like “elastic clause” & “commerce clause”
Implied powers are often the cause of controversy
Example: President Obama’s health care act

12. Inherent Powers
Inherent Powers: powers that usually belong to a sovereign (independent) nation; most governments have these powers
Like implied powers, inherent powers are not usually listed in the Constitution
Examples: establish borders, defend the nation, etc.

13. Think – Pair – Share
Turn to a partner – as a pair, think of the powers/duties/rights of a teacher. Write down on a sheet of paper, three columns:
Expressed powers: in teacher’s contract
Implied powers: suggested by the contract
Inherent powers: powers most teachers have
Come up with examples of each – be prepared to discuss with the class

14. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress shall have the power to tax…”
What does it mean to tax?
Tax: Taking public money for government use.
Why is it important?
Pays for many public services that serve and protect citizens. (Schools, Roads, Military, etc..)

15. Expressed Powers of Congress
Power to tax (con’t)
Where does our money go?

16. Expressed Powers of Congress
Power to tax (con’t)
All bills of revenue (raising money) must originate in the House of Representatives.

17. Expressed Powers of Congress
Power to tax (con’t)
Types of taxes
1. Tariffs- taxes levied against imported goods
-What is the goal?
-To encourage the buying of American-made products

18. Expressed Powers of Congress
Types of taxes (con’t)
2. Direct Taxes- paid by the person they are levied against.
Examples: Income Tax
Indirect Taxes- paid by one person and
passed on to another.
Examples: Sales Tax

19. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress shall have the power to regulate commerce…”
This means?
Commerce power: the ability to regulate foreign and interstate trade. (power is very vague)
Example: Setting a minimum wage
Limits: cannot tax exports, must treat all ports of entry equally

20. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress shall have the power to coin money…”
The Currency Power includes:
1. Coining money = determining the types of currency to use and to make it (i.e. coins, bills)
In the past- half-cent, 2-cent, 3-cent, 20-cent, $2.50, $3.00, $4.00, $5.00, $10.00, and $20.00
Today- 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 cent and $1 coins

21. Expressed Powers of Congress
For Bills (present)

22. Expressed Powers of Congress
For Bills (Past)
**All large denominations were out of circulation by 1969.

23. Expressed Powers of Congress
The Currency Power also includes:
Regulating its worth
How did a bill made out of a form of cloth come to have value for goods and services?
In the past, they backed the bills with precious metals (silver, gold, platinum), thus given it value.
What does that mean? You could (in theory) trade it in for certain amount of silver or gold.
**Today it is accepted that the US dollar has value.
(no standard is needed)

24. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress has the power to borrow…”
Borrowing involves: using money to finance projects that are not in the budget.
There is no Constitutional ceiling on how much can be borrowed. (Congress did pass a ceiling in 2011, but that limit is temporarily on hold)
Borrowing leads to:
DEBT!!

25. Expressed Powers of Congress
Borrowing con’t
U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK
The Outstanding Public Debt as of: Today
To understand the severity of the debt, we need to break down what a trillion is.
How big is it? If you had gone into business on the day Jesus was born, and your business lost a million dollars a day, day in and day out, 365 days a year, it would have taken you until October 2737 to lose a trillion dollars.

26. Expressed Powers of Congress
Whose debt is it?
It is owned by the Federal gov’t., but private citizens can buy some of the debt in the form of savings bonds and government bonds.
Currently, many outside nations owe money to the US that goes unpaid.
Why can’t we just print more money?
Inflation: more supply lessens the value

27. Expressed Powers of Congress
Deficit Financing: spending more money than you take in – causes governments to borrow to pay bills

28. Expressed Powers of Congress
Why is the debt so high?
-Most of the spending is a result of financing things not in the budget (i.e. War)
-Interest on a large sum, is extremely high.
(For each dollar of taxes, 19 cents goes to paying just the interest on the debt)
The first President to start deficit spending was: Franklin Roosevelt
The last President to have a balanced budget was:
Bill Clinton

29. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress shall form uniform laws concerning bankruptcy…”
What is it?
Bankruptcy: A legal process for dealing with the debt problems of individuals and businesses
Congress has passed laws that protect both creditors and debtors…

30. Expressed Powers of Congress
So what happens? (see textbook page 257)
The creditor is entitled to payment in some form. A person’s assets will be seized and the sold. The money will given to the creditors.
The amount of debt owed by the debtor is wiped clean, once the assets are seized.
Central Falls Bankruptcy
The Problem: The debtor will have a hard time getting any loans or credit from any bank or business, making it hard to buy major things.

31. Free Write
On the index card you have been provided, “Identify three ways in which the expressed MONETARY powers of Congress impact Americans.” Please connect the question to your answer

32. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress will establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization…”
Naturalization: Process of becoming a US citizen
Natural born = born in US territory or on US owned property, or to a US citizen.
Naturalized = citizenship gained from another country.

33. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress has the power to establish Post Offices and post Roads…”
Meaning they set up post offices (over 39,000 today)
And establish routes (including airways, railroads, and waterways)

34. Expressed Powers of Congress
They also determine what can be legally carried in the mail and crimes related to the mail.
*All mail crimes are federal crimes
EX: tampering with mail, use mail to commit fraud, damaging federal mailboxes.

35. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress shall promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts by securing…exclusive Right to their respective writings and Discoveries.”
(Congress issues copyrights and patents…)
Copyright-
Exclusive right to an author for the publication and resale of their work.
Length: Good for life plus 70 years

36. Expressed Powers of Congress
Patent-
Exclusive license to a person to manufacture, use, or sell any new invention.
Length: 20 years
Intellectual property covered:
Books, magazines, paintings, movies, design patents, photos, trademarks, trade secrets, etc..,
Copyright infringement

37. Expressed Powers of Congress
Illegally Downloading Music

38. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress can fix the Standard Weights and Measures…”
*Allows for an accurate, uniform gauge of time, distance, area, weight, volume, etc.
We use:
The English System
Ex: pounds, miles, inches, ounces, gallons, etc.
Congress has also legalized the use of the metric system.

39. Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress has the power to acquire, manage, and dispose of various federal areas…”
What do they oversee?
Territories: Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Naval Bases: Guantanamo Bay, etc.
National Parks, Federal prisons, Embassies

40. Expressed Powers of Congress
How do they acquire territory?
Purchase or gift: Louisiana Purchase
Eminent Domain: taking private property for public use (in exchange for fair market value of the property)
War: from another country in a treaty

41. Expressed Powers of Congress
Foreign Affairs-
Involve war powers and the power to control
foreign commerce
What are the War Powers?
Congress can raise and maintain an army and navy
Congress can call up militias (Nat’l Guard)
Congress can restrict non-war use of troops
Congress can declare war

42. Whip Around
On the index card that you have been given, please list as many expressed powers of Congress that you can think of and be prepared to share your answer with the class.

43. With a Partner…
Get a Civics book - Open to the Constitution, page C6
Review Article I, Section 8, Clauses 1 – 5 of the Constitution
Answer the question below in your notebook:
“Can the federal government tax Internet purchases? Explain your answer using the information you found in the Constitution.”

44. Implied Powers of Congress
The Necessary & Proper Clause – “Elastic Clause”
“Congress can do what is necessary and proper for the welfare of the nation.”
Congress has to relate their actions to one of the expressed powers.
Ex: Setting a minimum wage, comes from the power to regulate commerce.
Ex: Establishing a military draft, comes from the power to raise and maintain an army.

45. Implied Powers of Congress
Strict Construction vs. Liberal Construction of the Constitution
Strict Constructionists: wants to use only the powers written into the Constitution
Loose/Liberal Constructionists: believes a strong national government should be able to create new laws when needed
McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819) Liberal Constructionists won

46. Expressed & Implied
In the group to which you have been assigned, come up with at least one other power that Congress should have based on each expressed power listed in the chart.

47. Implied Powers of Congress
Other examples of Implied Powers:
The expressed power to lay/collect taxes implies:
Punish tax evaders
Require states to meet certain conditions for federal funding
The expressed power to create naturalization law implies:
Regulate and limit immigration
The expressed power to regulate commerce implies:
Ban discrimination in workplaces and public facilities
Pass laws to protect the disabled
(See textbook page 268)

48. Inherent Powers of Congress
These are powers than sovereign nations normally have.
Ex: Regulating immigration
Ex: Protecting the borders

49. Non-Legislative Powers of Congress
Legislative Powers: involve lawmaking
Nonlegislative Powers: do not involve the lawmaking process

50. Non-Legislative Powers of Congress
Electoral Powers
a. Presidential Elections- If no candidate has a majority of the Electoral Vote, the House elects the President and the Senate elects the VP
b. 25th Amendment- if a vacancy exists in the VP, the Congress will approve the new nomination.

51. Non-Legislative Powers of Congress
Constitutional Amendments-
Congress proposes changes to the Constitution with a 2/3 vote in both Houses.

52. Non-Legislative Powers of Congress
Impeachment process-
removing the President, VP, and all civil officers of the Fed. Gov’t
Impeach = bring charges against
(done by the House of Reps w/ maj. Vote)
Conviction = innocence or guilt
(trial done by the Senate w/ 2/3rd vote)

53. Non-Legislative Powers of Congress
Executive Powers of the Senate-
Approve Presidential appointments- majority vote
Approve Treaties- 2/3rd vote
Investigations-
a. Gather info for making laws
b. Review effectiveness of laws
c. Find if programs are being run properly