[templar]

So the government is authorized to "own" anything where might be "chaos?"

Interstate commerce clause, general welfare clause. The answer is yes to your question for things that affect the public as a whole. See court decisions regarding the establishment of the TVA if you want to study the legal authority in some depth.

[eno_]

The general welfare clause authorizes nothing. It directs. And the intertstate commerce clause forbids states from interfering in interstate commerce.

Quote the constitutional language and provide simple explantions. If you can't, it's probably a post-New Deal constitutional travesty.

For the entire history of the Republic before the New Deal it was simple: If it isn't in there, the fedgov is not allowed to do it. Even with the New Deal, neither language nor original intent have changed.

[Mikey]

"Interstate commerce clause, general welfare clause."

These two clause's have been bastardized way beyond their original intent.