Which constitutional provision gives federal courts jurisdiction over cases arising under treaties?

• A. Article III of the Constitution
• B. The Commerce Clause
• C. The Supremacy Clause
• D. The Due Process Clause

Answer: (A)

Federal courts derive jurisdiction over cases arising under treaties from Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution. That clause extends the judicial power to “Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties,” so a dispute that turns on a treaty falls within federal jurisdiction. The other options don’t provide a jurisdictional grant: the Commerce Clause authorizes Congress to regulate interstate commerce but doesn’t itself create federal-court jurisdiction; the Supremacy Clause says federal law is supreme but doesn’t establish who can hear such cases; and the Due Process Clause protects rights and procedures, not the power of the courts to hear treaty-based disputes.