{"id":372,"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=372"},"modified":"2026-01-06T17:14:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T22:14:17","slug":"tariffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/tariffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Tariffs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Walmart in ..... on ...... The Supreme Court will soon decide if President Trump's tariffs are constitutional. Photo by .... <\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-First3-grocery-ctore-1024x768.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-First3-grocery-ctore-1024x768.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-First3-grocery-ctore-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-First3-grocery-ctore-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-First3-grocery-ctore-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-First3-grocery-ctore-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-First3-grocery-ctore.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">
The park\u00ading lot of a Wal\u00admart gro\u00adcery store. Con\u00adsumer prices have been impact\u00aded by tar\u00adiffs. The U.S. Supreme Court will decide if Pres\u00adi\u00addent Trump\u2019s tar\u00adiffs are con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal. Pho\u00adto by Con\u00adnor Sharp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Arti\u00adcle 1, Sec\u00adtion 8 estab\u00adlish\u00ades that Con\u00adgress can reg\u00adu\u00adlate com\u00admer\u00adcial activ\u00adi\u00adty between the U.S. fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment and for\u00adeign nations, between each of the states \u2014 also known as inter\u00adstate com\u00admerce \u2014 and between the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment and Native Amer\u00adi\u00adcan tribes. This clause, and the Supreme Court\u2019s many cas\u00ades involv\u00ading it, allows Con\u00adgress to also reg\u00adu\u00adlate any\u00adthing that can encour\u00adage or restrain com\u00admerce, includ\u00ading trans\u00adporta\u00adtion, TV sig\u00adnals, air safe\u00adty and water\u00adways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion does not give the pres\u00adi\u00addent uni\u00adlat\u00ader\u00adal author\u00adi\u00adty to levy tar\u00adiffs. Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump has been using the Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal Emer\u00adgency Eco\u00adnom\u00adic Pow\u00aders Act of 1977 to jus\u00adti\u00adfy his wide-rang\u00ading tar\u00adiffs, say\u00ading in an April 2, 2025 White House fact sheet<\/a> that \u201cfor\u00adeign trade and eco\u00adnom\u00adic prac\u00adtices have cre\u00adat\u00aded a nation\u00adal emer\u00adgency.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal law experts such as Michael McConnell, direc\u00adtor of the Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal Law Cen\u00adter and pro\u00adfes\u00adsor at Stan\u00adford Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, say the scope of Trump\u2019s tar\u00adiffs are unprece\u00addent\u00aded and could be a vio\u00adla\u00adtion of the sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion of pow\u00aders, and that the Eco\u00adnom\u00adic Pow\u00aders Act pro\u00advides no author\u00adi\u00adty for the pres\u00adi\u00addent to imple\u00adment tax\u00ades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat act del\u00ade\u00adgates var\u00adi\u00adous pow\u00aders to the pres\u00adi\u00addent \u2018to deal with any unusu\u00adal and extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adnary threat\u2019 to U.S. nation\u00adal secu\u00adri\u00adty, for\u00adeign pol\u00adi\u00adcy or econ\u00ado\u00admy,\u201d McConnell wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. \u201cThe statute makes no men\u00adtion of tar\u00adiffs or oth\u00ader tax\u00ades, and before Mr. Trump, no pres\u00adi\u00addent ever inter\u00adpret\u00aded it to include such a pow\u00ader.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McConnell said that if the act is broad\u00adly inter\u00adpret\u00aded to allow tar\u00adiff pow\u00aders, it would \u201cempow\u00ader Mr. Trump and future pres\u00adi\u00addents to take upon them\u00adselves exten\u00adsive pow\u00aders nev\u00ader inten\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly del\u00ade\u00adgat\u00aded by Con\u00adgress. If the courts uphold the Trump tar\u00adiffs, it will be a major step toward a pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adcy that does what\u00adev\u00ader the pres\u00adi\u00addent wish\u00ades to do.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Nov. 5, 2025, the Supreme Court heard oral argu\u00adments for Learn\u00ading Resources v. Trump<\/a>, a case that would decide if the act gives the pres\u00adi\u00addent the author\u00adi\u00adty to levy tar\u00adiffs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

-by Mikay\u00adla Bun\u00adnell, UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
EXECUTIVE POWER<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
NATIONAL GUARD<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
REDISTRICTING<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
DUE PROCESS<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
IMPEACHMENT<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
ELECTIONS<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
NO KINGS<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
COURTS<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
TARIFFS<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Back to Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion Main Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arti\u00adcle 1, Sec\u00adtion 8 estab\u00adlish\u00ades that Con\u00adgress can reg\u00adu\u00adlate com\u00admer\u00adcial activ\u00adi\u00adty between the U.S. fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment and for\u00adeign nations, between each of the states \u2014 also known as inter\u00adstate com\u00admerce \u2014 and between the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment and Native Amer\u00adi\u00adcan tribes. This clause, and the Supreme Court\u2019s many cas\u00ades involv\u00ading it, allows Con\u00adgress to also reg\u00adu\u00adlate any\u00adthing [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1086,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[176],"tags":[109,108,110,91,107],"class_list":["post-372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-constitution","tag-article-1","tag-constitution","tag-economy","tag-executive-power","tag-tariffs"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":336,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/constitutional-crisis-or-executive-prerogative\/","url_meta":{"origin":372,"position":0},"title":"Constitutional crisis or executive prerogative?","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"How Trump's actions on due process, courts, elections and executive power stack up against our nation's founding document The Constitution of the United States, \"The Signing\" by artist Howard Chandler Christy, circa 1900. Courtesy of Library of Congress By Mikayla BunnellUConn Journalism \"We the People of the United States, in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Constitution"","block_context":{"text":"Constitution","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/constitution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/signing-of-constitution-1900-Howard_Chandler_Christy-artist.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/signing-of-constitution-1900-Howard_Chandler_Christy-artist.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/signing-of-constitution-1900-Howard_Chandler_Christy-artist.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/signing-of-constitution-1900-Howard_Chandler_Christy-artist.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":354,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/courts\/","url_meta":{"origin":372,"position":1},"title":"Courts","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Federal courts have the authority to hear cases having to do with the Constitution, federal laws and treaties. The courts also hear cases where the U.S. is a party. Two different articles in the Constitution create federal judgeships: Article 1\u00a0and Article 3.\u00a0 Article 3\u00a0establishes most judgeships, University of Connecticut political\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Constitution"","block_context":{"text":"Constitution","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/constitution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-Hettinger.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-Hettinger.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-Hettinger.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-Hettinger.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-Hettinger.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-Hettinger.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":370,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/the-national-guard\/","url_meta":{"origin":372,"position":2},"title":"The National Guard","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The National Guard in Washington DC on ..... President Donald Trump mobilized 800 National Guard troops to DC on Aug. 15, 2025 to support local law enforcement. Photo by Amanda J. Crawford. Article 2, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution designates the president as the commander-in-chief of the army and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Constitution"","block_context":{"text":"Constitution","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/constitution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/NATLGDDC2-CRAWFORD.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/NATLGDDC2-CRAWFORD.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/NATLGDDC2-CRAWFORD.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/NATLGDDC2-CRAWFORD.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/NATLGDDC2-CRAWFORD.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/NATLGDDC2-CRAWFORD.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1922,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/07\/stopping-tariffs\/","url_meta":{"origin":372,"position":3},"title":"Stopping Tariffs","author":"Charlotte Harvey","date":"January 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Press Release: Attorney General Tong Sues Trump Administration to Stop Illegal Tariffs Preceding Event: President Donald Trump issued executive orders, imposing tariffs on other countries. Four are at issue in this case. These are known in the suit as the\u00a0\"Canada Tariff Order\", \"The Mexico Tariff Order\", the \"China Tariff Order\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "lawsuits"","block_context":{"text":"lawsuits","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/lawsuits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":359,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/impeachments\/","url_meta":{"origin":372,"position":4},"title":"Impeachments","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Capitol in Washington DC at night on Oct. 21, 2025. Articles of impeachment are introduced and passed by the House of Representatives and tried by the Senate. Photo by Lily Goldblatt. While the House has the sole power to bring about an impeachment according to Article 2, Section 2,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Constitution"","block_context":{"text":"Constitution","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/constitution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":363,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/elections\/","url_meta":{"origin":372,"position":5},"title":"Elections","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I Voted\" sticker from California's 2020 election. As the most populous state, California has the most electoral college votes at 54. Photo courtesy of @californiasos_ on Instagram Article 2, Section 1 sets up the electoral college \u2014 the process that actually elects the president, not the popular vote. \u00a0 There\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Constitution"","block_context":{"text":"Constitution","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/constitution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/sgTa6m-tariffs","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1086"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=372"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1647,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372\/revisions\/1647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}