Which case established that the federal government has broad power to regulate interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause?

• A. United States v. Lopez (1995)
• B. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
• C. Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
• D. Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Answer: (B)

The question tests how far Congress can reach under the Commerce Clause. Gibbons v. Ogden established a broad interpretation: Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce in its entirety, not just the buying and selling of goods but also the channels and instrumentalities of commerce and, more generally, any activity that substantially affects interstate commerce. In that decision, the Court struck down a state monopoly on river navigation because it blocked federally licensed steamboats, showing that federal authority overrides conflicting state measures when those measures regulate interstate commerce. This case laid the groundwork for a wide federal regulatory power that shapes many later statutes and rulings. By contrast, United States v. Lopez later curbed Congress’s reach under the Commerce Clause, and Mapp v. Ohio and Gitlow v. New York concern rights and incorporation rather than the breadth of commerce power.