Article I - Legislative Branch
Congress enacts laws, levies taxes, declares war
📜Constitutional Law🏢Legislative Process
Article I vests legislative power in Congress. Article I, Section 1 gives Congress 'all legislative Powers'. Article I, Section 8 explicitly lets Congress 'lay and collect Taxes' (Clause 1), 'regulate Commerce... among the several States' (Clause 3), and 'declare War' (Clause 11).
Congressional oversight is an implied constitutional responsibility derived from Congress's legislative powers and is exercised through investigations, subpoenas, appropriations (the power of the purse), and impeachment procedures.
Article I, Section 1 vests 'all legislative Powers' in Congress.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 authorizes Congress to 'lay and collect Taxes' and to appropriate money for the common defence and general welfare.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 authorizes Congress to 'regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States'.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 gives Congress the authority to 'declare War'. Formal declarations are rare; the last formal declarations were during World War II.
Congressional oversight is not a single clause in Article I. It arises from implied powers and is enforced by committee investigations, subpoena authority, appropriations, and impeachment.
📜Constitutional Law🏢Legislative Process
People, bills, and sources
Congressional Leadership (Speaker Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Schumer)
Legislature
The House of Representatives
Lower chamber of Congress
The Senate
Upper chamber of Congress
The President
Executive
What You Can Do
1
understanding
Read the primary text
Read Article I, Section 1 and Section 8 to see the constitutional language that vests legislative power and lists specific powers.
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2
practicing
Track oversight tools
Follow committee hearings, subpoenas, and appropriations measures to see how Congress exercises oversight in practice.
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