Email Question: Was the General Welfare Clause a Mistake?

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

Of course, the best argument against the misuse of the general Welfare Clause is Madison's 1817 Veto of the Bonus Bill.

As I tell my classes, Welfare is the capitalized word, so it is the key word of the two.  What is Welfare?  It is a condition of "All's Well."  Therefore, the clause is not an open invitation to do all they want, but a condition that will exist if they are doing their job.  If the federal government takes care of its duties, common defense, mediate disputes between the States, and the external issues that promote, protect and preserve the union, then there will be a condition of "All's Well."  In another words, the general Welfare Clause is not a clause at all, but a condition that will be met if the federal government is doing its job within the authorities granted.

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