The "Prize Cases" reveal the legality of Lincoln's naval blockade of the South was a precarious constitutional question. Because blockades are an act of war between nations, his authority was challenged. A 5-4 Supreme Court decision validated his actions, retroactively saving the entire Union war effort from being declared unconstitutional.

A law requiring the US military to source its clothing domestically provides a crucial, stable revenue stream for American factories. This allows them to stay afloat and produce consumer goods, especially in the technical outdoor gear sector, that would otherwise likely move overseas.

The Constitution lacks an "immigration clause." The Supreme Court established this authority as an "inherent power" derived from national sovereignty, not specific text. This plenary power, created by judicial interpretation, is assigned to Congress.

What began as a simple desire to hunt elk on public land evolved into a landmark legal case with national implications. The hunters' persistence transformed a local trespassing dispute into a pivotal fight over public access rights across the American West, showing how small-scale conflicts can set major precedents.

Representative Sharice Davids points out a common public misconception fueled by presidential rhetoric. Presidents often say "I passed this law," but their constitutional role is limited to signing or vetoing bills. The actual, complex work of drafting, negotiating, and passing legislation is the exclusive domain of Congress, a fact often obscured in political messaging.

Congress uses its spending power to enact policies in areas where it lacks direct authority, like education or local transport. By offering "conditional spending," it creates powerful incentives for states to comply with federal standards to receive necessary funds.

This authority isn't from a single clause. It combines Section 8's power to spend with Section 9's *prohibition* on drawing money from the Treasury without a legislated appropriation. This limitation is what grants Congress exclusive control over federal spending.

Historian Anne Applebaum observes that significant US constitutional amendments often follow profound national traumas like the Revolution or the Civil War. This suggests that without a similar large-scale crisis, mustering the collective will to address deep-seated issues like systemic corruption is historically difficult, as there is no single moment of reckoning.

Senator Elizabeth Warren argues that the separation of powers is not self-enforcing; it depends on each branch jealously guarding its own authority. A constitutional crisis arises when Congress becomes compliant and allows the executive branch to usurp its powers.