Name a constitutional authority you might cite in a statutory interpretation problem and what it contributes to the analysis.

• A. The Supremacy Clause establishes that federal law prevails; the Commerce Clause can define scope of federal regulation.
• B. The Tenth Amendment reserves powers to the states, with no effect on interpretation.
• C. The Fourth Amendment governs all regulatory interpretations.
• D. The First Amendment controls how statutes are written.

Answer: (A)

When interpreting a statute, you look to constitutional authorities that define what Congress may lawfully regulate and how federal and state laws interact. The Supremacy Clause establishes that federal law prevails over conflicting state laws, so if a reading of the statute would conflict with federal statutes or constitutional commands, the federal reading governs and may preempt state law. The Commerce Clause defines the reach of federal regulatory power, so a provision grounded in Congress’s commerce power is more clearly within constitutional authority, while readings that exceed that power can render the interpretation invalid. Together, these authorities help you assess both the legitimacy of the statute’s scope and how it fits within the federal-state balance.

The other choices miss the mark in important ways. The Tenth Amendment concerns reserved state powers and, while relevant to debates about federalism, it is not correctly described as having no effect on interpretation. The Fourth Amendment governs protections against unreasonable searches and seizures and is not a general interpretive tool for all statutes. The First Amendment protects freedoms of speech and related rights and does not govern how statutes are drafted or interpreted across the board.