Gibbons v. Ogden is known for which ruling?

• A. Upholded broad congressional power to regulate interstate commerce, expanding federal authority.
• B. Ruled that states alone could regulate interstate commerce.
• C. Held that commerce clause does not apply to states.
• D. Created the Commerce Clause and limited federal power.

Answer: (A)

The main idea tested is how far Congress’s power over interstate commerce goes. In Gibbons v. Ogden, the Supreme Court declared that Congress has broad, exclusive authority to regulate interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause, and that this authority extends to navigation and other forms of inter-state intercourse. The ruling held that federal regulation takes precedence over state-granted monopolies when activity crosses state lines, strengthening federal power in economic regulation.

This is why the chosen answer is the best: it captures that the decision upheld broad congressional power to regulate interstate commerce, expanding federal authority. It did not say that states alone could regulate interstate commerce, it did not claim the Commerce Clause doesn’t apply to states, and it did not create the Commerce Clause or limit federal power; rather, it reinforced federal supremacy in regulating interstate trade and navigation.