What power does the Commerce Clause grant Congress?

The correct answer highlights the significant power granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which is found in Article I, Section 8. This provision authorizes Congress to regulate commerce "among the several states," commonly known as interstate commerce. The intention behind this clause is to ensure a unified economic marketplace across state lines, preventing individual states from enacting trade policies that could harm the overall economy or lead to disputes between states.

This power is particularly broad and has been interpreted by the courts to include not only the regulation of the transportation of goods across state lines but also a range of economic activities that may affect interstate commerce, even if the activities themselves are localized. This regulatory authority enables Congress to legislate on issues such as transportation, labor relations, and environmental standards that have a substantial effect on commerce across state lines.

The other options represent related but different powers or implications regarding commerce. While Congress does maintain the power to regulate foreign commerce and to impose tariffs on imports, these are more specific aspects of its broader powers and do not encompass the full scope of the Commerce Clause in regulating all forms of economic interaction between states. Additionally, controlling state commerce implies a level of oversight that goes beyond the constitutional powers intended to be balanced between state and