Food for Thought! This is the Power of the Federal Governmnet as it is listed in the Constitution. Steve Stout US Constitution gives the federal government only 20 enumerated powers Posted on January 26, 2012 by Dr. Ed by Tony Kimberlin, letter to editor, Daily Inter Lake The powers allocated to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution were highly important and carefully enumerated. The U.S. Constitution lists only twenty enumerated powers assigned to the federal government. These 20 enumerated powers are as follows: Coin and regulate the value of money. Administer the seat of government. Tax. Borrow. Spend. Punish crimes on the high seas. Establish federal courts. Pass copyright and patent laws. Raise and finance armed forces. Establish bankruptcy laws. Establish rules for citizenship. Call up state militias. Administer federal lands. Establish rules for the armed forces. Establish a postal system. Regulate commerce. Standardize weights and measures. Punish counterfeiting. Declare war. Pass laws to implement the above. The 10th Amendment was specifically placed in the U.S. Constitution to remind the federal government of these enumerated powers and that it has no authority in any area not specifically described in the U.S. Constitution. The Founding Fathers feared that federal agencies would try to usurp powers reserved for the states or the people. Here is something to remember, as said by George Washington, “Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” We, the people, should be aware that an out-of-control government can be very destructive but in its proper place, it is a very useful servant.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 15:28:38 +0000