Enumerated Powers of Congress

What it is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the Constitution of the United States? For most people they think of the Bill of Rights, and the rights and freedoms they invoke. They would be right to an extent, but what they fail to realize is that the Constitution more importantly grants enumerated powers to the three different branches of government. Along with these powers, the Constitution also creates a series of checks and balances. These checks and balances keep one branch of government from having too much power. Between these three branches, none has as many enumerated powers listed than the legislative branch of government.
The Constitution is broken down into many different parts called “Articles.” In the first three articles of the Constitution, each branch of government is defined, and their enumerated powers are stated. The first article is devoted to the legislative branch, the second article to the executive branch, and the third to the judicial branch.
You can find the list of enumerated powers of the legislative branch under Article I, section 8 of the Constitution. These powers include:  
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several

States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the

subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix

the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current

Coin of the United States;

To establish Post...