Which of these is a true statement about the limits placed on Congress? Select all that apply. (2 points)
• The Bill of Rights gives Congress power to tax citizens.
• Federalism places limits on Congress by reserving certain powers to the courts.
•The Constitution limits Congress from passing certain kinds of laws.
• Separation of powers divides the national government into different branches.
•Congress cannot override a veto by the president.
To identify which of these statements about the limits placed on Congress are true, we can break down each statement and examine their accuracy:
1. The Bill of Rights gives Congress power to tax citizens.
To check the accuracy of this statement, we need to analyze the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights primarily focuses on protecting individual liberties, such as freedom of speech and religion. It does not grant explicit power to Congress to tax citizens. Therefore, this statement is false.
2. Federalism places limits on Congress by reserving certain powers to the courts.
To verify this statement, we need to understand the concept of federalism. Federalism is a principle where power is divided between the national government and state governments. One of the ways it limits Congress is by reserving certain powers to the states. However, it does not explicitly reserve powers to the courts. Therefore, this statement is not entirely correct.
3. The Constitution limits Congress from passing certain kinds of laws.
To assess the validity of this statement, we must examine the Constitution. The Constitution outlines the powers and limitations of Congress. For example, Article I, Section 9 lists specific limitations, such as prohibiting Congress from passing ex post facto laws or bills of attainder. Therefore, this statement is true as the Constitution does limit Congress from passing certain kinds of laws.
4. Separation of powers divides the national government into different branches.
This statement is accurate. The concept of separation of powers is a fundamental principle in the United States. It divides the national government into three branches: the legislative (Congress), executive (president), and judicial (courts). Each branch has distinct powers and responsibilities, which provides a system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
5. Congress cannot override a veto by the president.
To determine whether this statement is true, we need to examine the power dynamics between Congress and the President. According to the U.S. Constitution, if the President vetoes a bill passed by Congress, it can still become law if Congress overrides the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Therefore, this statement is false as Congress does have the power to override a presidential veto under specific conditions.
From the statements presented, the true statements about the limits placed on Congress are:
- The Constitution limits Congress from passing certain kinds of laws.
- Separation of powers divides the national government into different branches.