Name three provisions within the original U.S. Constitution that limits the power of congress?

Question

Name and explain the three provisions within the original U.S. Constitution (before the amendments were added) that were designed to limit the powers of Congress and at the same time to protect the rights of the accused. These are within the Article I of the Constitution. Identify and explain how these three constitutional provisions guarantee that Congress shall follow the rule of law.

Answer 1

Tricky.

Article I Section 9 --specific limits.

Article I Section 7 -- presentment.

Article II Section 3 -- executive adjournment

Those are the only ones I can find in the original 6 articles.

Article I Section 8 lists the enumerated powers, but itself doesn't contain a limitations clause. Nor do any other sections of Article I, as far as limitations on the power of Congress as a whole.

Answer 2

Having skimmed, I will say that this is part true. The constitution was needed because the government unde rthe Articles of Confederation were to weak. However, it IS accurate to say that the constitution was meant to limit the powers of the federal govt because while the founders at the convention decided that a stronger central govt was needed, they were TERRIFIED of it devolving into an unlimited central govt where the legislature could do whatever it liked. They could have simply created a parliamentary system like everyone else where the government's power was limited solely through elections and representatives, but they went further than that. They divided power both vertically through the layers of govt, and horizontally through the branches. They strictly spelled out what objects of govt the new federal govt was permitted to exercise rather than granting limitless power. The article above has a certain truth, but it ignores the context.

Answer 3

For God's sake -- Read the friggin constitution -- it's like 4 pages long.