What is in article 1 section 8 of the Constitution?

Asked by: Kasandra Oberbrunner  |  Last update: January 29, 2026
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Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution lists the enumerated powers of Congress, granting it authority to tax, borrow money, regulate commerce (interstate, foreign, Indian tribes), establish post offices, coin money, declare war, raise armies, provide for the general welfare, and make necessary laws, along with granting power over the national capital (Washington D.C.) and ensuring uniform laws for naturalization and bankruptcy.

What does Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution mean?

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; ArtI.S8.C1.1 Taxing Power.

What is article 8 of the constitution in simple terms?

Short Version -- This is a summary of the important issues covered in this section of the U.S. Constitution. Congress can lay and collect taxes. Congress can borrow money. Congress can regulate national and international trade. Congress can establish rules for naturalization and bankruptcy laws.

What is Article 1 Section 8 Clause 8 simplified?

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution, the Intellectual Property Clause, gives Congress the power to grant temporary, exclusive rights (patents and copyrights) to authors and inventors for their creations to encourage innovation, thereby promoting scientific and artistic progress for the public good.
 

What does article I section 8 clause 1 say?

Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution, known as the Taxing and Spending Clause, grants Congress the power "To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States". It also mandates that all such duties, imposts, and excises must be uniform across the U.S. and prohibits taxing exports from any state, establishing the foundation for federal taxation and spending for national purposes. 

Powers of the Federal Government: Article I, Section 8 & the "Necessary and Proper" Clause

35 related questions found

What are the powers directly stated in the Constitution under Article 1 Section 8?

Section 8 - Powers of Congress. 1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States: 2.

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.
 

What is Article 8 in one word?

Article 8 of Indian Constitution grants Indian citizenship to persons of Indian origin residing abroad, allowing them to travel to India without the need for a visa.

What is the Article 1 Section 8 Uniformity Clause?

Article I, Section 8, Clause 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; . . .

What is the Article 1 Section 8 necessary and proper clause?

Article I, Section 8, Clause 18: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution 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.

How does Article 1 Section 8 define piracy?

So that, whether we advert to writers on the common law, or the maritime law, or the law of nations, we shall find that they universally treat of piracy as an offence against the law of nations, and that its true definition, by that law, is robbery upon the sea.

Which power does not belong to Congress according to Article 1 Section 8?

However, one power that does NOT belong to Congress, according to Article 1, Section 8, is the power to: Interfere with the power of states to control education within their borders.

How has Article 1 Section 8 been interpreted?

The Meaning

Article I, Section 8, specifies the powers of Congress in great detail. These powers are limited to those listed and those that are “necessary and proper” to carry them out. All other lawmaking powers are left to the states.

Can a president levy taxes?

Article 1, Section 8 provides that the Congress “shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises.” The president has no authority in the Constitution to unilaterally impose tariffs without an act of Congress.

Does the Constitution say you have to pay taxes?

Congress used the power granted by the Constitution and Sixteenth Amendment, and made laws requiring all individuals to pay tax. Congress has delegated to the IRS the responsibility of administering the tax laws known as the Internal Revenue Code (the Code) and found in Title 26 of the United States Code.

Who is protected by Article 8?

Article 8 protects your right to respect for your private and family life. Article 8 protects your right to respect for your private life, your family life, your home and your correspondence (letters, telephone calls and emails, for example).

Can Article 8 be used in court?

Courts first assess whether Article 8(1) is engaged (i.e., whether the infringement pertains to private and family life, home, and correspondence). If it is, Paragraph 2, which sets out the exceptions (to be interpreted narrowly4) in which interference with the right is permitted, will be analyzed.

What is the Article 8 law?

Article 8 - the right to respect for your family and private life, your home and your correspondence is one the rights protected by the Human Rights Act. Read this page to find out more about what this right means under the Human Rights Act.

Did all 613 laws come from God?

Yes, the 613 mitzvot (commandments) in Judaism are traditionally considered to have been given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, forming the core of the Torah, though the Bible doesn't explicitly state the number 613; Jewish tradition, particularly Maimonides' work, compiled and enumerated them from the texts of the Torah, with the Ten Commandments serving as a summary of these broader laws. The exact list and interpretation vary, with some laws being ceremonial, moral, or judicial, and not all are applicable today. 

What did Benjamin Franklin say about Jesus?

Benjamin Franklin admired Jesus's moral teachings, calling His system "the best the world ever saw," but had doubts about His divinity, though he didn't dogmatize on the matter, focusing instead on Jesus's ethics of doing good as exemplified in his own 13 virtues, blending classical wisdom with Christian principles for a practical, virtuous life. He valued the actions and morals of Jesus (like humility) over strict dogma, seeing revealed religion as less important than virtuous conduct for societal good.
 

What do the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th Amendments do?

The 4th Amendment protects against unreasonable searches; the 5th guarantees due process, no self-incrimination (pleading the fifth), and prevents double jeopardy; the 6th ensures rights in criminal trials like counsel and speedy trial; the 8th forbids excessive bail/fines and cruel/unusual punishment; and the 14th, via the Due Process Clause, applies these federal protections (including 4, 5, 6, 8) to the states, ensuring equal protection and citizenship rights.
 

What is Article 1 Section 8 Clause 16?

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by ...

What is Article 1 Section 8 Clause 10?

Article I, Section 8, Clause 10: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations; . . . Id.

What is the Article 1 Section 8 Clause 11?

Article I, Section 8, Clause 11: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; . . . See U.S. Const.

What is Article 1 Section 8 Clause 12?

I, § 8, cl. 12 ( [The Congress shall have Power . . . To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years . . . . ). Jump to essay-2See 3 Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States § 475, at 413 (1st ed.