What are the three powers of Congress?
Asked by: Collin Hintz | Last update: February 16, 2026Score: 5/5 (10 votes)
While Congress has many specific powers, they generally fall under three main categories: Legislative (making laws), Financial (taxing/spending), and Oversight (checking the other branches), including powers like declaring war, regulating commerce, controlling the budget ("power of the purse"), and confirming appointments, all crucial for a functional federal government.
What are the three powers of the Congress?
Three key powers of the U.S. Congress are legislative authority (making laws, controlling spending, levying taxes), the power to declare war and raise armed forces, and oversight and confirmation powers (approving presidential appointments, investigating executive branch actions). These powers, outlined in Article I of the Constitution, allow Congress to shape policy, manage national defense, and check the other branches of government.
What are the three main functions of Congress?
Congress enacts laws that influence the daily lives of all Americans and is intended to serve as the voice of the people. Its responsibilities include funding government functions and programs, holding hearings to inform the legislative process, and oversight of the executive branch.
What are the top 3 powers of the legislative branch?
The three most important legislative powers are making laws, controlling the national budget (taxing and spending), and the authority to declare war, which shape society, manage finances, and direct national security, with Congress also confirming appointments and regulating commerce as vital functions. These powers, outlined in the U.S. Constitution, allow the legislative branch to create rules, fund government operations, and set foreign policy, all while checking other branches.
What are the three types of Congress?
They are the Executive, (President and about 5,000,000 workers) Legislative (Senate and House of Representatives) and Judicial (Supreme Court and lower Courts). The President of the United States administers the Executive Branch of our government.
What Is the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government? | History
What are the three powers of a government?
The U.S. Constitution establishes three separate but equal branches of government: the legislative branch (makes the law), the executive branch (enforces the law), and the judicial branch (interprets the law).
What are the three main 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 the three powers?
What are the three branches of government? The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This ensures that no individual or group will have too much power.
What are three implied powers of Congress?
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.
What are the powers of all the branches?
The U.S. government has three branches—Legislative (Congress), Executive (President), and Judicial (Courts)—with distinct powers: the Legislative branch makes laws (e.g., taxes, commerce, war), the Executive branch enforces laws (e.g., executes policies, heads agencies), and the Judicial branch interprets laws (e.g., judicial review, settles disputes). This separation, established by the Constitution, creates a system of checks and balances to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful.
What are the five most important 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 two important duties of Congress?
Two crucial duties of the U.S. Congress are legislation (making laws) and representation (acting for constituents), supported by powers like raising revenue, declaring war, and oversight, all essential for governing and reflecting the people's will.
Who has more power, Congress or Senate?
The Senate has exceptionally high authority, sometimes higher than the President or the House of Representatives. The Senate can try cases of impeachment, which can dismiss a President for misconduct.
What are three powers that Congress does not have?
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.
What does the 14th Amendment say?
The 14th Amendment defines U.S. citizenship (birthright citizenship), guarantees all citizens "equal protection of the laws," and ensures states can't deprive anyone of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law," incorporating fundamental rights against states, and also disqualifies rebels from office. It was crucial for civil rights, extending federal protections to formerly enslaved people and ensuring equality under the law.
What are the powers of each branch?
The U.S. government has three branches—Legislative (Congress), Executive (President), and Judicial (Courts)—with distinct powers: the Legislative branch makes laws (e.g., taxes, commerce, war), the Executive branch enforces laws (e.g., executes policies, heads agencies), and the Judicial branch interprets laws (e.g., judicial review, settles disputes). This separation, established by the Constitution, creates a system of checks and balances to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful.
What were the three main powers of Congress?
The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers.
What are the 4 powers of the government?
Well, I hope that helps you understand the 4 government powers a little better. Remember the acronym PETE, which stands for police power, eminent domain, taxation, and escheat.
What are the three powers Congress has under the Articles of Confederation?
Articles of Confederation – Congress Wielded All Three Powers: Legislative, Judicial, Executive, Later Separated.
What are the big three powers?
(Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-32833.) British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “The only thing worse than having allies is not having them.” In World War II, the three great Allied powers—Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union—formed a Grand Alliance that was the key to victory.
What are the three basic powers?
2014) (defining separation of powers as the division of governmental authority into three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial—each with specified duties on which neither of the other branches can encroach ).
What are the three central powers?
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires, were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria; this was also known as the Quadruple Alliance.
What is one power that only the Senate has?
The Senate has the sole power to conduct impeachment trials, essentially serving as jury and judge. Since 1789 the Senate has tried 20 federal officials, including three presidents. Congress has conducted investigations of malfeasance in the executive branch—and elsewhere in American society—since 1792.
What is the difference between the Senate and the Congress?
The U.S. Senate, together with the U.S. House of Representatives, makes up the U.S. Congress. The Senate holds certain unique powers and obligations. Its makeup is different too: two senators represent each state, and senators serve staggered six-year terms.
What are the 3 requirements for the Senate?
No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen. U.S. Const. art.