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...
The Founders’ Promises About What the Federal Government Could NOT Do
The Constitution created a federal government with powers that, as James Madison said, were “few and defined.” Yet today the feds have their paws in almost every pocket of American life. How did that happen? One reason is that if you don’t know much about the...
Evidence on the Powers the Constitution Leaves Exclusively to the States
The Constitution enumerates the powers of the federal government. But has anyone listed the exclusive powers of states—the realm the federal government may not invade without violating the Constitution? When discussing state authority, the Founders usually pointed out...