Throwback Thursdays: McCulloch v Maryland
In McCulloch v Maryland (1819), SCOTUS did some interesting things 🤔. First, it created a test still used today to determine the scope of Congress’ implied powers. What’s interesting about that? Our constitution was not written open-ended to provide for any implied powers. Congress only has the powers expressly included in Article 1. Our government has no inherent powers; it derives its powers from We The People, and only those we specifically bestowed upon it in the text of the Constitution. In other words, if it’s not written in the Constitution, the government has NO authority to do it. Second, SCOTUS explained that “the power to tax involves the power to destroy.” Yet, the government has taxed our homes, our purchases, our income, our clothing, our services, fuel for transportation, etc. So, why is there no accountability for their excessive taxation that is causing so much destruction for the average American?
