When Deciding What Policy Areas Congress Is Allowed to Act

question 35

Multiple Choice

When deciding what policy areas Congress is allowed to act on, twentieth-century courts have primarily used ________ as a guide, because they interpret it to mean that ________.

• A) the elastic clause; Congress has the power to make laws to provide for the general welfare of the United States
• B) the supremacy clause; the federal government has broad authority to act in spite of state policies
• C) the commerce clause; the federal government has the right to regulate most business and commercial activity in the United States
• D) the Tenth Amendment; the federal government cannot act in policy areas that are reserved for the states
• E) stare decisis; they must defer to previous jurisprudence to ensure continuity in the application of the law

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Definitions:

Overhunting

describes the excessive hunting of animal species to the point where it leads to a significant reduction in their population, potentially leading to extinction.

Biotic Pollution

Introduction of a foreign species into an area where it is not native.

Environmental Sustainability

The ability to meet humanity’s current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Endangered Species

A species whose numbers are so severely reduced that it is in imminent danger of extinction throughout all or part of its range. Compare with threatened species.