Before the introduction of the Constitution, the federal government had no power over the states or the country. After the ratification of the Constitution, the power of the federal government increased respectively to the power of the states. There are several clauses and acts in the Constitution that have helped expand federal power over time. One of the clauses that helped the government was the Taxation and Expenditure Clause, located in Article I, Section 8. The clause allows the federal government to tax citizens of the United States. Under the Articles of Confederation, the government had no power to impose and collect taxes and had to rely on requests from state governments. Seeing that Congress had no power to independently raise its own revenues, they proposed the Tax and Spend Clause. Although the government had the power to tax citizens, it not only used it to raise revenue, but also taxed to regulate trade, taxed to discourage or suppress trade, or set tariffs to protect domestic markets from foreign control. In United States v. Butler, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had no power to impose taxes because of the Agricultural Adjustment Act and found it unconstitutional because it attempted to regulate state activity, thus violating the Tenth Amendment. Regardless of the ruling, the case stated that the government did, in fact, have broader taxing power, but there were limitations. In another court case, South Dakota v. Dole, the Supreme Court ruled that it was constitutional because states' highway funds were withheld if they did not raise the legal drinking age to 21. This would give the federal government more power through force...... middle of paper ......n, reserving it the right to close a plant or issue a fine if the company refuses to adhere to the rules of the act . In the 1990s, the law was changed to ensure legal procedures to reduce the chances of acid rain. When Congress first initiated the Clean Air Act, it was what started the environmental movement, and it is now considered one of the cornerstone pieces of legislation. As a result of these clauses and acts of the Constitution, the federal government has been able to expand and broaden its power over the United States over time. Under the article, the government had no power to impose taxes or implement federal laws, whereas when the Constitution was ratified, a federal government was created that had power over its people, but with restrictions. Without these clauses and acts, the federal government would not become what it is today.