Which case established that the federal government may regulate interstate commerce under the Constitution?

• A. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
• B. United States v. Lopez (1995)
• C. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
• D. Wickard v. Filburn (1942)

Answer: (C)

Interstate commerce regulation is grounded in the Commerce Clause, which gives Congress the authority to regulate trade and movement between states. Gibbons v. Ogden clarified that this power is broad, covering not just buying and selling but the actual conduct of interstate navigation and other commerce activities. In that case, the Court struck down a state monopoly that conflicted with a federal license to operate across state lines, holding that federal authority in this area prevails over state grants. This established that the federal government may regulate interstate commerce under the Constitution. Later decisions refine the scope—for example, United States v. Lopez sets limits on the Commerce Clause, while Wickard v. Filburn expands its reach in different contexts—and McCulloch v. Maryland supports the idea of strong federal power more generally, but the foundational moment for federal regulation of interstate commerce is Gibbons v. Ogden.