15 Questions to Ask Candidates for Federal Offices!

How can you tell if a candidate for Congress has sufficient knowledge of the Constitution to represent you properly? Ask them the following questions:

1. What is the proper role of government?

Answer: Provide Justice and Protection. The proper role of government is to protect the inalienable rights of the people. These include: Life, Liberty, and the Right to Own Property.

2. What is the proper distribution of powers between federal and state or local governments?

Answer: James Madison explained, "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the sate governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the several states will extend to all the object which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties and prosperity of the state." Federalist Papers, No. 45

3. What are the 11 powers of the President of the United States?

Answer:

1. Chief of State
2. Chooses his Vice President
3. Shall nominate ambassadors, public ministry, consuls, judges of Supreme Court and other offices of U. S. with advice and consent of the Senate
4. May require opinions or reports from any U. S. agency
5. Gives Congress report of the State of the Union, recommending measures he considers necessary and expedient to improve the general welfare of the nation.
6. Sees that federal laws are faithfully executed
7. Scrutinizes new laws from national standpoint - can veto
8. Receives ambassadors & etc. from foreign nations
9. Can make treaties if 2/3 of Senators present agree
10. May grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against U. S. (except impeachments)
11. Commander in Chief of the Military

4. What are the 22 powers of Congress?

Answer:

1. Determines if members are properly elected
2. Punishes own members for disorderly behavior
3. Has complete control over Federal Lands and Buildings
4. Keeps a journal of proceedings to be published from time to time
5. Collect taxes
6. Pays the debts
7. Power to coin money and regulate value
8. Can borrow on credit of U. S.
9. Punishes counterfeiting
10. Brings impeachment charges
11. Fix weights and measures
12. Encourage progress of science and other useful arts and issue copyrights and patents
13. Establish post offices
14. Set up federal courts
15. Has all lawmaking power
16. Regulate commerce
17. Establish uniform system of rules for naturalization
18. Establish uniform laws regarding bankruptcy
19. Define and punish piracies and felonies on high seas
20. Grant letters of marquee and reprisal
21. Call forth state militia when need to
22. Declare war

5. What is the purpose of the Supreme Court?

Answer: It is the guardian of the Constitution. It is to make sure laws that are passed are constitutional.

6. What is the first thing a congressman or senator should do when deciding what bill to sponsor or how to vote on a bill?

Answer: See if it is one of the 11 powers of the president or one of the 22 powers of Congress. If not, he must reject it for lack of delegated authority.

7. What is the original meaning of the "general welfare" clause?

Answer: This provision gave the Congress the right to expend funds for all of the purposes itemized in Article I, section 8, (the 22 powers) provided that it was done for the general welfare of all the people and not specific welfare for individuals or preferred groups or locations.

8. Why did the Founders give Constitutional authority for the federal government to regulate interstate commerce?

Answer: They wanted to insure the free flow of goods and services between states with no state erecting customs or tariffs. It was never meant to apply to the production or sale of goods and services going interstate.

9. Which cabinet offices have authority rooted in the powers given to Congress in the Constitution? Which of the others will you work to disband?

Answer: Does: State, Treasury, Defense, and Attorney. General (now Justice).

Does Not: Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health & Human Services, Housing & Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education

10. How can Congress check the runaway power of the federal courts?

Answer: One action which could be taken is to adopt the Jefferson Amendment. This was suggested by Thomas Jefferson as an amendment to the Constitution to allow Congress to overturn a decision of the Supreme Court by a two-thirds vote.

11 When the federal government wishes to acquire land within a state, whose permission does the Constitution require be obtained? Only for what four purposes can it obtain land within any state?

Answer: The Constitution spells out that land within a state could only be purchased with the consent of the State Legislature. The four purposes for which the federal government can even acquire the land are: (a). for the erection of forts, (b) for magazines and arsenals, (c) for dock yards, (d) for other needful buildings such as Post Offices.

12. What standard does the Constitution require as a basis of our money system? Who is supposed to have control of the nation's monetary system?

Answer: Article I, Sections 10 of the Constitution gives Congress the exclusive right and also the responsibility to provide a national money system based on gold and silver, and no state is allowed to use anything else in payment of its debts. There is no constitutional authority for the Federal Reserve System.

13. Do you believe that people's morals will affect their ability to enjoy freedom and liberty under the Constitution?

Answer: Benjamin Franklin said: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."

John Adams was equally explicit: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people; it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

Samuel Adams added a final warning: "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt.

14. You will take an oath to uphold and defend the United States Constitution, if you win this office. Do you realize that you will be held accountable before God, as well as the American People to do it?

Answer: Yes

15. Tell me why should I vote for you?