Which of these is an expressed power of Congress?

The answer

An expressed power of Congress, also called an enumerated or delegated power, is one that is written out explicitly in the Constitution, mostly in Article I, Section 8. Examples include the power to declare war, coin money, regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support an army and navy, establish post offices, and collect taxes. On a multiple-choice test, the correct answer is whichever option names one of these specifically listed powers; "declare war" is the most frequently keyed choice.

The word "expressed" is the key. These powers are stated in plain text, so Congress does not have to infer them, they are directly granted by the Constitution.

Expressed vs. implied vs. inherent powers

Congress's powers fall into three categories, and exam questions often test whether you can tell them apart:

• Expressed (enumerated) powers are spelled out word-for-word in the Constitution, chiefly Article I, Section 8. Example: coining money.
• Implied powers are not listed directly but are reasonably necessary to carry out the expressed powers. They come from the Necessary and Proper Clause (the "elastic clause," Article I, Section 8, Clause 18). Example: creating a national bank, upheld in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), which flows from the expressed powers to tax, borrow, and regulate commerce.
• Inherent powers belong to the national government simply because it is a sovereign nation, even though they are not clearly listed. Example: acquiring territory or controlling immigration.

A quick test: if you can point to the exact words in the Constitution, it is an expressed power. If Congress must argue it is "necessary and proper" to do something else, it is implied.

Why the distractors are wrong

Questions like this usually mix expressed powers with implied or inherent ones, or with powers that belong to other branches or the states:

• Creating a national bank or establishing federal agencies are implied powers, drawn from the elastic clause, not expressed.
• Regulating immigration or acquiring territory are typically classified as inherent powers.
• Interpreting laws belongs to the judicial branch, and enforcing laws belongs to the executive branch, not Congress.
• Setting up public schools or issuing driver's licenses are state (reserved) powers under the Tenth Amendment.

Only a power explicitly listed in the Constitution, like declaring war or coining money, counts as an expressed power.

The bigger picture

The distinction matters because it defines the scope of federal authority. Expressed powers form the constitutional foundation, implied powers let Congress adapt those foundations to new needs, and reserved powers are left to the states. Debates over how far implied powers stretch, from the national bank to modern regulation, remain central to American constitutional law, and they all begin with knowing which powers the Constitution names outright.