THE TENTH AMENDMENT
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."
What it means...
At the time the Constitution was adopted, it was important for the people to understand that powers not granted to the United States were reserved to the States and to the people.
Power was a large issue for the founders, and they struggled with the distribution and levels of power that were among their new government; such as what powers the National level and the State levels held. The Tenth Amendment states clearly that the powers not designated to the Federal government by the Constitution lay with the States, and/or the people.
At the time the Constitution was adopted, it was important for the people to understand that powers not granted to the United States were reserved to the States and to the people.
Power was a large issue for the founders, and they struggled with the distribution and levels of power that were among their new government; such as what powers the National level and the State levels held. The Tenth Amendment states clearly that the powers not designated to the Federal government by the Constitution lay with the States, and/or the people.
EXAMPLES
in the past...An example of the 10th Amendment being applied in the past would be when slavery was still popular. The states decided whether they would allow it or not. It wasn't until the 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865 that the federal government decided slavery was illegal throughout the country. The power was handled on the federal level because the issue needed to be addressed nationally.
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modern day...A modern example of the 10th Amendment would be something like the states having the right to decide whether they want to allow gay marriage or not within their borders. This is an example of a reserved power which means that the states didn't give the power to the federal government.
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