4 ms·

If you read the constitution, there's a section called the Enumerated Powers Clause that gives the federal government very specific, limited powers. If we had

by MCRed 12y ago

If you read the constitution, there's a section called the Enumerated Powers Clause that gives the federal government very specific, limited powers. If we had kept to that system, the federal government would not be swallowing the economy, and we'd be much better off. Consider this- the federal governments debt alone (including unfunded liabilities) is more than the amount of US dollars in circulation.

dragonwriter 12y ago
> If you read the constitution, there's a section called the Enumerated Powers Clause that gives the federal government very specific, limited powers. This name is sometimes given to Article I, Sec. 8, which gives Congress certain powers, but is not the only part fo the Constitution providing powers to the federal government -- or even Congress specifically -- powers (as well as limitations other places in the Constitution that apply even to the exercise of the powers enumerated in Art. I, Sec. 8 or elsewhere) are provided throughout the Constitution, so it is completely untenable to describe a federal government whose power is defined solely by those powers assigned to Congress in Article I, Sec. 8 ("the Enumerated Powers Clause") as "the system [the US] was intended to have in the Constitution". > Consider this- the federal governments debt alone (including unfunded liabilities) is more than the amount of US dollars in circulation. The total debt held by the public (you are using a bit of nonstandard terminology, so I'm not sure what you mean to include or exclude) is about 10 times the amount of US currency in circulation, and the total public debt is closer to 15 times the amount of currency in circulation, but I have trouble finding any remotely plausible reason for considering any particular ratio of those two numbers important.

4 ms·

If you read the constitution, there's a section called the Enumerated Powers Clause that gives the federal government very specific, limited powers. If we had

by MCRed 12y ago

dragonwriter 12y ago
> If you read the constitution, there's a section called the Enumerated Powers Clause that gives the federal government very specific, limited powers. This name is sometimes given to Article I, Sec. 8, which gives Congress certain powers, but is not the only part fo the Constitution providing powers to the federal government -- or even Congress specifically -- powers (as well as limitations other places in the Constitution that apply even to the exercise of the powers enumerated in Art. I, Sec. 8 or elsewhere) are provided throughout the Constitution, so it is completely untenable to describe a federal government whose power is defined solely by those powers assigned to Congress in Article I, Sec. 8 ("the Enumerated Powers Clause") as "the system [the US] was intended to have in the Constitution". > Consider this- the federal governments debt alone (including unfunded liabilities) is more than the amount of US dollars in circulation. The total debt held by the public (you are using a bit of nonstandard terminology, so I'm not sure what you mean to include or exclude) is about 10 times the amount of US currency in circulation, and the total public debt is closer to 15 times the amount of currency in circulation, but I have trouble finding any remotely plausible reason for considering any particular ratio of those two numbers important.