Lessons
Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland. Dealing with the Constitution's Necessary and Proper Clause, this lesson asks students to asses to what extent the Necessary and Proper Clause grants a new power to Congress and what is the meaning of "proper" in this context.
Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of South Dakota v. Dole. Dealing with the whether or not the federal government can attach conditions to money given to states in areas where the federal government has no enumerated power, this lesson asks students to evaluate the extent to which the Court's interpretation of the General Welfare Clause and attachment of conditions to federal funds given to states is consistent with the principle of federalism.
Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Gonzales v. Raich. Dealing with the Commerce Clause and the government's regulatory powers, this lesson asks students to trace and evaluate the evolution of the Supreme Court's interpretation of Congress's commerce power in light of the principle of federalism.