Congress did not explain in the law what Constitutional provision it believes gave it the power to pass the law. In its defense before the Supreme Court, the Clinton Justice Department cited the commerce clause as justification for the law. It argued that violent crime in or near schools harms the quality of education, causing graduates to be unprepared for gainful employment, thereby affecting interstate commerce, which Congress has the power to regulate. In 1995, however, the Supreme Court--for the first time in more than half a century--invalidated a federal law on the ground that it was ...

• Word Count: 1219
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The necessary and proper clause of Article I Section 8 states that Congress has the power to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution for the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof. ... When Proposition 215 appears in the news in the near future, think of how many people's lives it has benefited. ...

• Word Count: 1222
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

The example of the Gun laws case exemplifies the government passing complementary legislation, despite the disagreement prior in regards to that particular case. ... The fact that the states are philosophically and financially locked into the national system, therefore make their withdrawal from the system a near impossible option. ...

• Word Count: 1215
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate