Question
What is the 10th Amendment?
What does it state about the distribution of power in the US government?
What does it state about the distribution of power in the US government?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791. It states:
*"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."*
The 10th Amendment emphasizes the principle of federalism by underscoring that any powers that are not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people. This means that the federal government has limited, enumerated powers, and any authority that is not explicitly given to it remains within the jurisdiction of the states or the individual citizens. Thus, the 10th Amendment plays a key role in the distribution of power in the U.S. government by reinforcing the idea that state governments hold significant powers and responsibilities, operating independently of federal oversight in areas not specified by the Constitution as under federal control.
*"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."*
The 10th Amendment emphasizes the principle of federalism by underscoring that any powers that are not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people. This means that the federal government has limited, enumerated powers, and any authority that is not explicitly given to it remains within the jurisdiction of the states or the individual citizens. Thus, the 10th Amendment plays a key role in the distribution of power in the U.S. government by reinforcing the idea that state governments hold significant powers and responsibilities, operating independently of federal oversight in areas not specified by the Constitution as under federal control.