In this back-to-the basics episode of 60-Second Civics, we learn how a bill becomes a law, and how that law can become null and void if the Supreme Court decides that it violates the Constitution.

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Are there limits to the power of Congress? Find out on today's podcast.

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Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution includes two general statements of power of Congress: the general welfare clause and the necessary and proper clause.

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Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution includes seventeen enumerated powers of Congress, including the right to impose and collect taxes and duties, borrow money, and declare war.

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The Framers of the Constitution didn't want Congress to have too much power. So, they gave Congress specific powers, called the enumerated powers of the Constitution, and they placed limitations on those powers. They also gave Congress some general powers to deal with unexpected situations.

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Learn about the debate at the Philadelphia Convention over what powers to give Congress.

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The American experience with the British government had caused many of the Framers of the U.S. Constitution to be suspicious of a central government and executive power. The Framers wanted the national governmet to be strong enough to protect the rights of the people, but not so strong that it would endanger those rights.

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The Articles of Confederation, which was the framework for the first government of the United States, proved that it was not up to the challenges of its time. Congress was very weak, and could not control the actions of state governments.

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North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia would not have supported the Constitution without compromised that protected slavery in the South. This would have dire consequences for the country.

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The Constitution contained many compromises between Northern and Southern delegates in order to convince Southern delegates to support the system of government created by the document. Examples include allowing the slave trade to continue until at least 1808, the the three-fifths clause, and the fugitive slave clause.

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