General Welfare Clause
Thomas Jefferson Rejects the Power of Congress to “Do Whatever Evil They Please”
Thomas Jefferson rejected the “anything and everything” view of the general welfare clause that so many hold today. Conventional wisdom holds that the Constitution’s “general welfare” clause authorizes the federal government to do...
James Madison Refutes Expansive Reading of the General Welfare Clause
The “general welfare” clause serves as a go-to for people who want the federal government to come in and solve various societal problems. The clause has served as the justification for federal welfare programs, government healthcare, federal meddling in...
“General Welfare” and “Common Defense” Explained by James Madison
The words “provide for the common defense and general welfare” rank among the most abused phrases in the Constitution. I often refer to this as the “anything and everything clause.” Partisans on both the political left and right use...
Constitution 101: To “Provide for the Common Defense”
Many people use the general welfare clause as their “the federal government can do anything and everything clause.” Others have turned the phrase “provide for the common defense” into a similar justification for federal overreach. Progressives tend to invoke the...