Question

What is the significance of the Gibbons v. Ogden decision (1824)?

a) State governments may regulate the type of transportation used on rivers within state borders.
b) The Constitution does not expressly grant the federal government the power to regulate commerce.
c) States have the power to regulate commerce between one another.
d) Only the federal government has the power to regulate interstate commerce.

Answer 1

The 1824 Supreme Court decision in Gibbons v. Ogden established that only the federal government holds the power to regulate interstate commerce, invalidating state-granted monopolies that conflict with federal laws.

Step-by-step explanation:

The significance of the Gibbons v. Ogden decision in 1824 is fundamental to the powers defined by the U.S. Constitution regarding interstate commerce. The Supreme Court's ruling established that only the federal government has the power to regulate interstate commerce, as it struck down a New York State law that had granted an exclusive steamboat operating license to Aaron Ogden, affirming that such state monopolies were 'repugnant' to the Constitution. Chief Justice Marshall's ruling emphasized that the federal Licensing Act of 1793 was a constitutional exercise of Congressional authority under the commerce clause, therefore, federal regulations take precedence over conflicting state laws.