How does the Constitution prevent Congress from passing unreasonable laws?
Asked by: Miss Neha Krajcik Sr. | Last update: January 29, 2026Score: 4.1/5 (9 votes)
The Constitution prevents Congress from passing unreasonable laws through enumerated powers, the Bill of Rights, the Tenth Amendment (reserving powers to states/people), separation of powers (vetoes, bicameralism), and judicial review, ensuring laws are limited, protect fundamental rights, stay within federal purview, and face checks and balances, with the Supreme Court as the ultimate arbiter of reasonableness.
What does the Constitution prohibit Congress from doing?
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making laws respecting an establishment of religion; prohibiting the free exercise of religion; or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom of assembly, or the right to petition the government for ...
What does the Constitution say about laws passed by Congress?
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the ...
How does the Constitution prevent the government from abusing its power?
The Framers structured the government in this way to prevent one branch of government from becoming too powerful, and to create a system of checks and balances. Under this system of checks and balances, there is an interplay of power among the three branches.
How can the President stop Congress from passing a law?
In those circumstances, the President can prevent the bill from becoming law simply by declining to sign it, sometimes called a pocket veto. If the President blocks legislation by pocket veto, Congress cannot later override the veto—instead, the legislature must reintroduce the bill and enact it again.
The Constitution: The Limited Powers of Congress | 5-Minute Video
What power allows the President to cancel laws passed by Congress?
Last Updated January 9, 2026. About this object In 1935, FDR came to the House Chamber to deliver his veto message in person. Article I, section 7 of the Constitution grants the President the authority to veto legislation passed by Congress.
How can Congress get rid of a law?
To repeal any element of an enacted law, Congress must pass a new law containing repeal language and the codified statute's location in the U.S. Code (including the title, chapter, part, section, paragraph and clause).
What are the three ways the Constitution limits the power of the government?
More specifically, the Constitution creates a government with three branches: the legislative branch, which makes the laws; the executive branch, which executes the laws; and the judicial branch, which interprets the laws, and the Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances to ensure that no branch has too ...
What does article 7 of the US Constitution say?
Article VII of the U.S. Constitution is about the ratification process, stating that nine of the thirteen states needed to approve it through special state conventions for the Constitution to become the law of the land, replacing the Articles of Confederation. It established the conditions for the new government to take effect and included the date the Constitution was signed (September 17, 1787).
Can the President suspend Congress?
The Section also grants the President the authority to adjourn Congress whenever the chambers cannot agree when to adjourn, a power that no President has ever exercised. Section 3 mostly imposes obligations on the President that are varied and significant.
How does the Constitution limit congressional power?
First, the Constitution restricts Congress's authority by the scope of the various powers it grants the federal government. The Constitution explicitly grants Congress a set of carefully defined enumerated powers, while reserving most other legislative powers to the states, or to the people.
What kind of law is forbidden by the Constitution?
Article I, Section 9, Clause 3:
"No State shall . . . pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, . . ." Together, these constitutional prohibitions prevent the federal and state governments from passing either bills of attainder or ex post facto laws.
Can Congress pass laws that violate the Constitution?
Congress does not have the power to pass laws that override the Constitution, such as by expanding the scope of the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction.
What powers does the Constitution deny Congress?
Section 9 Powers Denied Congress
No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed. No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.
Does Article 9 promote peace?
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution renounces war as a means of settling international disputes and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces and other war potential.
What does the 27th amendment actually say?
The 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that no law varying the compensation for Senators and Representatives shall take effect until an election of representatives has intervened, meaning Congress can't give itself a pay raise that takes effect immediately; they have to wait until after the next election, allowing voters to decide if they approve. It was originally proposed in 1789 by James Madison but wasn't ratified until 1992, making it the last ratified amendment, with a long history due to its lack of a time limit for ratification.
Is God mentioned in the US Constitution?
No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God, Jesus, or Christianity; its framework is secular, focusing on governmental structure, though it mentions "religion" in the First Amendment to protect religious freedom and prohibit an established religion. The only divine reference is in the signing date, "in the Year of our Lord," a common phrase of the era, not a theological statement, notes TCU Magazine.
Who opposed Article 7 and why?
Anti-Federalists pointed out that Article VII was inconsistent with Article XIII of the Articles of Confederation, which required that changes in constitutional arrangements be “agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State.” Article VII required agreement ...
What does Article 1 of the Constitution establish?
Article I of the U.S. Constitution establishes the Legislative Branch (Congress), defining its structure as a bicameral legislature (House of Representatives and Senate), outlining its law-making powers, election processes, and limitations, thereby creating the first and primary branch of the federal government responsible for creating laws.
Does a judge have more power than the President?
Federal laws, for example, are passed by Congress and signed by the President. The judicial branch, in turn, has the authority to decide the constitutionality of federal laws and resolve other cases involving federal laws. But judges depend upon the executive branch to enforce court decisions.
What are the 5 limits on government?
Five key limits on government power are the Constitution, Rule of Law, Separation of Powers, Consent of the Governed, and Rights of the Minority, all designed to prevent abuse by establishing rules, dividing authority, ensuring public approval, and protecting individual freedoms from majority rule. These principles ensure government is accountable and serves its people, rather than ruling over them.
How can the President limit the power of Congress?
The Framers of the Constitution gave the President the power to veto acts of Congress to prevent the legislative branch from becoming too powerful. This is an illustration of the separation of powers integral to the U.S. Constitution.
Can a president overturn a law passed by Congress?
The U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 7) provides that, for a bill to become law, it must be approved by both houses of Congress and presented to the President for approval and signature. Article I, Section 7 also provides the President with the power to veto, or "forbid," the bill from becoming law.
Who has the power to nullify a law?
Nullification and the Supreme Court. Definition: The theory that the states are the final arbiters of the limits of national authority and that each may veto the enforcement of federal laws it determines to be unconstitutional, at least within its own boundaries.
How many times has the U.S. Constitution been modified?
To date, the Constitution has been amended 27 times, most recently in 1992.