Which power is held by the federal government that the states do not have?

Which power is held by the federal government that the states do not have?

• A. The power to coin money
• B. The power to tax
• C. The power to regulate intrastate commerce
• D. The power to issue licenses

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that money creation and its value are exclusively national matters. The Constitution gives Congress the power to coin money and regulate its value, creating a single, uniform national currency across all states. Because this authority is explicitly vested in the federal government, states do not have their own coinage power. That exclusivity is why coin money is the best choice. Other powers listed are not exclusive to the federal government: states also tax (and the federal government taxes too, but that doesn’t remove state taxation); regulating commerce is mainly about interstate trade (the federal government handles interstate commerce, while intrastate commerce is largely state-controlled); licensing is typically a state responsibility (federal licenses exist only in specific regulated areas).

The key idea is that money creation and its value are exclusively national matters. The Constitution gives Congress the power to coin money and regulate its value, creating a single, uniform national currency across all states. Because this authority is explicitly vested in the federal government, states do not have their own coinage power. That exclusivity is why coin money is the best choice.

Other powers listed are not exclusive to the federal government: states also tax (and the federal government taxes too, but that doesn’t remove state taxation); regulating commerce is mainly about interstate trade (the federal government handles interstate commerce, while intrastate commerce is largely state-controlled); licensing is typically a state responsibility (federal licenses exist only in specific regulated areas).