What power is reserved to the federal government concerning interstate commerce?

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The power reserved to the federal government concerning interstate commerce is federal regulation. This power is established by the Commerce Clause in the United States Constitution, which grants Congress the authority to regulate trade among the states and with foreign nations. The intent of this clause was to create a cohesive national market, eliminating trade barriers between states.

Since the framers of the Constitution recognized that trade between states could be affected by individual state laws and regulations, they empowered the federal government to ensure that such commerce could flow freely without interference from state regulations. This has led to significant federal legislation aimed at regulating various aspects of interstate commerce, including transportation, trade practices, and the economy as a whole.

In contrast, the other options relate to various forms of regulation that do not hold authority over interstate commerce in the same way. State regulation is limited to intrastate commerce unless it affects interstate commerce significantly. Local regulation focuses on community-level governance and has no jurisdiction over broader trade matters. International regulation pertains to trade with foreign nations, which is also under federal authority but distinct from interstate commerce. Thus, federal regulation accurately encompasses the government’s power over interstate commerce as intended by the Constitution.

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