
The Origination Clause, also known as the Revenue Clause, is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution. The clause states that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the U.S. House of Representatives, giving them the power of the purse. The Origination Clause was influenced by British parliamentary practice, where all money bills must first be read in the House of Commons. This clause was a compromise between small and large states, intending to protect the interests of the populace and counterbalance the power of small states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is it? | The Origination Clause, sometimes called the Revenue Clause, is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution. |
| What does it say? | All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills. |
| What is its purpose? | To promote good government, protect individual liberty, and protect the interests of the populace. |
| What is its history? | The Origination Clause was part of the Great Compromise between small and large states. It stemmed from a British parliamentary practice that all money bills must have their first reading in the House of Commons. |
| What are the debates? | Founding debates centred on whether the Senate's ability to amend rendered the clause ineffectual. There have also been debates about the original public meaning of "revenue raising" and "originate". |
| What are the concerns? | The Origination Clause has been challenged in court, with concerns about whether it is followed in practice, and whether it is upheld by the President and Congress. |
| What are the implications? | The Origination Clause limits the power to introduce tax and tariff bills exclusively to the House of Representatives, where larger states have greater representation. |
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What You'll Learn
- The Origination Clause is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the US Constitution
- The Clause says that all bills for raising revenue must start in the House of Representatives
- The Clause was influenced by British parliamentary practice and intended to protect the interests of the populace
- The Senate may propose or concur with amendments, but not originate revenue-raising bills
- The Origination Clause was part of the Great Compromise between small and large states

The Origination Clause is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the US Constitution
The Origination Clause, sometimes referred to as the Revenue Clause, is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the US Constitution. It states that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the US House of Representatives, though the US Senate may propose or concur with amendments, as with other bills.
The Origination Clause was influenced by British parliamentary practice, which dictated that all money bills must have their first reading in the House of Commons. This was intended to ensure that the power of the purse was held by the legislative body most responsive to the people. However, in the US, the Senate was given the power to amend these bills. This clause was a compromise between small and large states, as the larger states were unhappy with the disproportionate power of small states in the Senate.
The Origination Clause was a significant factor in the ratification of the Constitution. It was designed to protect the interests of the populace and counterbalance the power of the small states. It also served as a tool to prevent government abuses and uphold the separation of powers. The clause has been interpreted to refer specifically to bills that levy taxes, rather than bills with other purposes that may incidentally generate revenue.
The Supreme Court has addressed issues related to the Origination Clause, such as in the 1990 case of United States v. Munoz-Flores, which discussed the distinction between revenue bills and other types of bills. The Court has also considered challenges to laws allegedly violating the Origination Clause, such as in the National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius case in 2012.
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The Clause says that all bills for raising revenue must start in the House of Representatives
The Origination Clause, also known as the Revenue Clause, is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the US Constitution. It stipulates that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House of Representatives, giving them the "power of the purse". This clause was influenced by British parliamentary practice, where all money bills must first be read in the House of Commons.
The Origination Clause was designed to keep monetary matters close to the voters and protect the interests of the populace. It was also intended to counterbalance the power of the small states in the Senate, as larger states had greater representation in the House. This clause was a significant factor in the ratification of the Constitution.
However, the Origination Clause has faced challenges and debates over its effectiveness. The Senate's power to amend revenue-raising bills has reduced its practical significance. Additionally, the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 changed the dynamic, as both Houses are now directly elected by the people, potentially reducing the need for the House to have exclusive control over revenue bills.
Despite these considerations, the Origination Clause remains an essential aspect of the US Constitution, shaping the law-making process and ensuring that those elected by the people have initial responsibility over tax decisions.
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The Clause was influenced by British parliamentary practice and intended to protect the interests of the populace
The Origination Clause, also known as the Revenue Clause, is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution. It states that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments. The Clause was influenced by British parliamentary practice, which dictated that all money bills must have their first and any other initial readings in the House of Commons before moving to the House of Lords.
The British practice was intended to ensure that the power of the purse was held by the legislative body most responsive to the people. This concept of the "power of the purse" was also central to the Origination Clause, with the Framers of the U.S. Constitution giving the House of Representatives, the chamber directly elected by the people, control over monetary matters. This was a key structural protection for individual liberty, linking taxation with direct representation.
In the U.S. context, the Origination Clause was part of the Great Compromise between small and large states. Large states were unhappy with the disproportionate power of small states in the Senate, so the Origination Clause theoretically offset this by giving the House of Representatives, where representation was based on state population, control over revenue-raising bills. This compromise was further refined by allowing the Senate to amend these bills, thus reducing the House's power.
The Origination Clause was intended to protect the interests of the populace and prevent government abuses. It was designed to provide a balance of power between the chambers of Congress and promote good government. This clause was a major selling point for the ratification of the Constitution, with James Madison arguing that it gave the House of Representatives a powerful tool to address grievances and carry out effective measures.
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The Senate may propose or concur with amendments, but not originate revenue-raising bills
The Origination Clause, also known as the Revenue Clause, is a part of the US Constitution, specifically Article I, Section 7, Clause 1. This clause dictates that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House of Representatives, giving them the "power of the purse". However, the Origination Clause also allows the Senate to propose or concur with amendments to these bills, as they can with other types of bills. This clause was influenced by British parliamentary practice, where all money bills must first be read in the House of Commons.
The Origination Clause was a compromise between small and large states during the formation of the US Constitution. Large states were unhappy with the disproportionate power of small states in the Senate. By allowing the House of Representatives to originate revenue-raising bills, the Origination Clause aimed to balance the power between the two chambers of Congress and protect individual liberty. It also ensured that decisions regarding taxation were made by representatives directly elected by the people.
Despite the Origination Clause's clear directive, there have been debates and legal challenges regarding its interpretation and application. One of the main points of contention is the Senate's ability to amend revenue-raising bills. While the Senate cannot originate such bills, it can propose amendments to them. This power of the Senate has been challenged, with some arguing that it undermines the intent of the Origination Clause.
In the 1911 case of Flint v. Stone Tracy Company, the Court upheld the Senate's authority to amend revenue-raising bills. The case involved a bill that originated in the House with an inheritance tax, which the Senate amended to include a corporate tax instead. The Court found no constitutional issue with this amendment as the bill had originated in the House, and the Senate's amendment was relevant to the bill's subject matter.
However, in 1915, a federal court struck down legislation that was deemed contrary to the Origination Clause. Additionally, in the 1990 case of United States v. Munoz-Flores, the Supreme Court expressed its willingness to address violations of the Origination Clause, stating that laws passed in violation of it would not be immune from judicial scrutiny.
The Origination Clause continues to be a subject of legal debate, with challenges arising from time to time regarding the interpretation and application of this important constitutional provision.
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The Origination Clause was part of the Great Compromise between small and large states
The Origination Clause, also known as the Revenue Clause, is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution. It states that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the U.S. House of Representatives, although the U.S. Senate can propose or concur with amendments.
The Origination Clause was modelled on a British parliamentary practice that all money bills must have their first reading in the House of Commons before moving to the House of Lords. This was intended to ensure that the power of the purse lay with the legislative body most responsive to the people. However, the British practice was modified in America to allow the Senate to amend these bills.
The Origination Clause was part of the Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise) between small and large states. The large states were unhappy with the disproportionate power of small states in the Senate, so the Origination Clause was designed to counterbalance this by giving the House of Representatives control over monetary matters. This was also intended to keep such matters as close to the voters as possible.
The Great Compromise was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature proposed by Roger Sherman, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house (the House of Representatives) and equal representation for each state in the upper house (the Senate).
The Origination Clause was a major selling point for the ratification of the Constitution. It was viewed as a key provision protecting liberty by requiring accountability to the people.
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Frequently asked questions
The Origination Clause, sometimes called the Revenue Clause, is Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution. It states that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Origination Clause was intended to protect the interests of the populace and to counterbalance the power of the small states. It was also designed to protect against government abuses.
The Origination Clause does allow the Senate to propose or concur with amendments, as in the case of other bills. However, the Senate may not originate bills for raising revenue.

























