What was the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in terms of federal power?

The significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in terms of federal power lies in its enhancement of federal authority to address and punish acts of discrimination. By prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in various areas such as employment and public accommodations, the act empowered the federal government to intervene in and regulate civil rights cases that were previously left to states or local jurisdictions.

This legislation enabled the federal government to take a more active role in enforcing civil rights, including establishing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to monitor and enforce compliance. The Act thus marked a turning point, shifting the landscape of civil rights enforcement from a primarily local or state responsibility to a federal one, allowing the government to protect individual rights more effectively against discriminatory practices.

The other interpretations miss the broader implications of the Civil Rights Act, as it didn't just create enforcement mechanisms at a local level but rather centralized authority in the federal government to ensure civil rights were upheld across various states, making it a landmark in expanding federal power in civil rights cases.