Which case held that the national government has exclusive power to regulate interstate commerce?

• A. Gibbons v. Ogden
• B. McCulloch v. Maryland
• C. United States v. Morrison
• D. Printz v. United States

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate trade that moves across state lines, interpreted through the Commerce Clause. In Gibbons v. Ogden, the Supreme Court held that Congress has broad power to regulate interstate navigation and commerce, and that this federal authority is exclusive when commerce crosses state boundaries. The case involved competing licenses for steamboat operation, one federal and one state, and the Court ruled that federal regulation supersedes state regulation in this area, reinforcing national supremacy in economic matters that affect more than one state.

This decision is what solidifies the idea that the national government can set the rules for interstate commerce in a way that states cannot override. It helps explain why uniform national rules are important for the economy and why state monopolies or conflicting licenses cannot block interstate trade. Other cases you might see in this area address different aspects of federal power: some expand or define Congress’s broad authority under the Commerce Clause in other contexts, while others examine limits on federal power or issues of federalism that don’t center on exclusive regulation of interstate commerce.