Under the Constitution, Congress has the authority "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes." You'll notice that commercial activities by individuals is not on that list, so there is no specific constitutional authority for the federal government to mandate that a private citizen engage in commerce.
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ObamaCare's individual mandate
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Under the Constitution, Congress has the authority "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes." You'll notice that commercial activities by individuals is not on that list, so there is no specific constitutional authority for the federal government to mandate that a private citizen engage in commerce.