Business Quote by Barry M. Goldwater
““In the case that upheld the second AAA, Wickard v. Filburn, (1942), a farmer had been fined for planting 23 acres of wheat, instead of the eleven acres the government had allotted him—notwithstanding that the "excess" wheat had been consumed on his own farm. Now how in the world, the farmer wanted to know, can it be said that the wheat I feed my own stock is in interstate commerce? That's easy, the Court said. If you had not used your own wheat for feed, you might have bought feed from someone else, and that purchase might have affected the price of wheat that was transported in interstate commerce! By this bizarre reasoning the Court made the commerce clause as wide as the world and nullified the Constitution's clear reservation to the States of jurisdiction over agriculture. The””
About This Quote
Source Legal Opinion: Wickard v. Filburn, 1942, US Supreme Court
The Court expanded the commerce clause to include even local, non‑interstate activities, dramatically increasing federal regulatory power.
In simple terms: Federal power expanded through broad interpretation of commerce.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of federal authority.
Themes
law
federalism
economics
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
legal
historical
When to use this quote
- agricultural policy
- taxation
- interstate commerce
- legal precedent
Key Concepts
constitutional law
regulatory scope
Questions to Reflect On
- Is such expansion justified for national cohesion?
- How does this affect state sovereignty?
A Different Perspective
Broad interpretation can lead to overreach.
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![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)