What are the five most important powers of Congress?

Asked by: Mr. Myrl Koss  |  Last update: February 8, 2026
Score: 4.1/5 (63 votes)

The five most important powers of Congress, derived from Article I, Section 8, are Taxing & Spending, Regulating Commerce, Declaring War, Coining Money, and the Necessary & Proper Clause, collectively giving Congress control over finance, trade, defense, currency, and the implied authority to create other essential laws for governing the nation.

What are the top 5 powers of Congress?

Some of the more important powers specifically granted to Congress include the power to borrow money; to regulate commerce (Commerce Clause – see Chapter 2); to coin money; to establish Federal courts below the Supreme Court; to establish an Army and a Navy; to tax and spend (General Welfare Clause); to declare war; to ...

What are the 5 major roles of Congress?

  • Roles of Members of Congress. ...
  • Representation. ...
  • Legislation. ...
  • Constituency Service. ...
  • Oversight and Investigation. ...
  • Advice and Consent (Senators Only) ...
  • Congressional Leadership. ...
  • Personal Office Management.

What are the 5 most important duties and powers of the legislative branch?

The legislative branch is made up of the House and Senate, known collectively as the Congress. Among other powers, the legislative branch makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate and foreign commerce and controls taxing and spending policies.

What are the 5 delegated powers of Congress?

These are also sometimes called "enumerated" or "expressed" powers. The delegated powers include the power to coin money, to regulate commerce, to declare war, to raise and maintain armed forces, and to establish a Post Office.

The Constitution: The Limited Powers of Congress | 5-Minute Video

24 related questions found

What is Congress section 5 power?

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

What are the five constitutional powers?

The Constitution explicitly assigns the president the power to sign or veto legislation, command the armed forces, ask for the written opinion of their Cabinet, convene or adjourn Congress, grant reprieves and pardons, and receive ambassadors.

What are the 5 types of power in government?

The five core types of power in government, based on the influential French & Raven model, are Coercive (force/fear), Reward (incentives/benefits), Legitimate (formal authority/position), Expert (knowledge/skills), and Referent (charisma/admiration). These power bases explain how leaders influence citizens and officials, with legitimate power often tied to elected roles, coercive power to enforcement, and expert power to specialized knowledge in areas like law or economics. 

What important powers were given to Congress?

The Constitution assigned to Congress responsibility for organizing the executive and judicial branches, raising revenue, declaring war, and making all laws necessary for executing these powers.

What are the five powers of the government?

The five core types of power in government, based on the influential French & Raven model, are Coercive (force/fear), Reward (incentives/benefits), Legitimate (formal authority/position), Expert (knowledge/skills), and Referent (charisma/admiration). These power bases explain how leaders influence citizens and officials, with legitimate power often tied to elected roles, coercive power to enforcement, and expert power to specialized knowledge in areas like law or economics. 

What are the powers and functions of the Congress?

Congress and the Executive Branch: Balancing Power

Congress is the central law-making body to which the executive and judicial branches respond. Congress writes and debates the laws that govern the United States, and it can override presidential vetoes.

What are the 5 functions of the government?

What are the five major functions provided by all governments? Give one example each of how these functions are performed in the United States. The five major functions of government are as follows: maintain a national defense, provide public goods and services, preserve order, socialize the young, and collect taxes.

Where are the powers of Congress outlined?

Article I. Article I describes the design of the legislative branch of US Government -- the Congress. Important ideas include the separation of powers between branches of government (checks and balances), the election of Senators and Representatives, the process by which laws are made, and the powers that Congress has.

What are some powers that only Congress has?

Section 8: Powers of Congress

  • To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
  • To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

What are the powers of Congress Quizlet?

Match

  • Congress has the power to lay and collect taxes.
  • Borrow money.
  • Coin, print, and regulate money.
  • Declare war.
  • Raise, support, and regulate an army and navy.
  • Establish laws of naturalization.
  • Grant copyrights and patents.
  • Create lower federal courts.

What are the major powers of the Senate?

The Senate shares full legislative power with the House of Representatives. In addition, the Senate has exclusive authority to approve–or reject–presidential nominations to executive and judicial offices, and to provide–or withhold–its “advice and consent” to treaties negotiated by the executive.

What are 5 of the expressed powers of Congress?

Five expressed powers of Congress are the powers to declare war, coin money, regulate interstate commerce, raise an army and navy, and collect taxes.

Which powers of Congress are the most important?

The Constitution specifically grants Congress its most important power — the authority to make laws. A bill, or proposed law, only becomes a law after both the House of Representatives and the Senate have approved it in the same form. The two houses share other powers, many of which are listed in Article I, Section 8.

What are the three powers that Congress has?

The Constitutional Powers of the Congress of the United States

  • (1) lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises;
  • (2) lay and collect taxes on incomes [added by Amendment XVI];
  • (3) pay the debts of the United States;
  • (4) provide for the common defense of the United States;

What are the five major powers?

China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States are often referred to as great powers by academics due to "their political and economic dominance of the global arena". These five nations are the only states to have permanent seats with veto power on the UN Security Council.

What are the 5 types of power?

In a notable study of power conducted by social psychologists John R. P. French and Bertram Raven in 1959, power is divided into five separate and distinct forms. They identified those five bases of power as coercive, reward, legitimate, referent, and expert.

What are the 5 major sources of power?

Legitimate, expert, referent, coercive, and reward power are the primary sources influencing organizational dynamics. Can one person have multiple sources of power ? Yes, individuals often hold multiple power types, such as a manager with legitimate and expert power.

What are the 5 powers of the First Amendment?

The First Amendment protects five core freedoms: religion (establishment and free exercise), speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government, forming the bedrock for democratic expression, belief, and civic participation in the U.S. 

What are 5 concurrent powers?

Among the most important include the ability to levy taxes (income tax, property tax, etc.), the right to borrow money on credit, the power to establish courts under the Supreme court, the right of eminent domain, and the ability to define crime and set punishments.

What implied powers does Congress have?

Some examples of the federal government's implied powers include:

  • The creation of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
  • The ability to use a military draft to raise an army.
  • The creation of a national minimum wage.
  • The regulation of firearms sale and possession.