Which constitutional clause gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations?

• A. Commerce Clause
• B. Supremacy Clause
• C. Necessary and Proper Clause
• D. Equal Protection Clause

Answer: (A)

Regulating interstate and international trade falls under Congress’s power to regulate commerce. The Commerce Clause gives Congress the authority to oversee business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or foreign nations. That broad power is what allows national rules on economic activity that spans borders or has a wide impact, even when individual actions occur locally.

The other clauses don’t grant this regulatory reach in the same way. The Supremacy Clause establishes that federal law is the supreme law, but it doesn’t itself authorize regulatory power. The Necessary and Proper Clause allows Congress to enact laws needed to execute its powers, but it doesn’t define the power to regulate commerce by itself. The Equal Protection Clause protects individuals from state discrimination, not the regulation of commerce.