... but there is nothing in the Constitution that even hints at the various social programs that the US National government mandates or funds.
ITs called the GENERAL WELFARE CLAUSE... try reading the constitution next time bro.
TOS.
OK ... my mistake for saying hints.
Extremely slight hint ... I'll give you that ... maybe ... but only on a technicality.
The people who wrote the Constitution did not have any of these Socialist programs in mind.
I, obviously, was speaking of the intent when the Constitution was written while you are speaking of modern laws loosely based on some justification within the Constitution.
These Social ideas and certainly the Social programs did not develop until more than 50 years after the Constitution was written.
The General Welfare Clause has been used to extend beyond the original intent of the writers of the Constitution but that's a forward looking preamble as it allows the laws to expand beyond what was immediately known at the time of the writing of the Constitution.
According to
James Madison, the clause authorized Congress to spend money, but only to carry out the powers and duties specifically enumerated in the subsequent clauses of Article I, Section 8, and elsewhere in the Constitution, not to meet the seemingly infinite needs of the general welfare.
Alexander Hamilton maintained that the clause granted Congress the power to spend without limitation for the general welfare of the nation. However, it was 150 years (1936) before the Supreme Court allowed for the expansion of the original intent of this clause as written by James Madison.
This brings to mind projects I have been involved in over the years, where I always insisted on inclusion in the Project Definition document what was not included in the project. This saved much wasted time, effort and money over the years.
