What principle does the Tenth Amendment establish?

What principle does the Tenth Amendment establish?

• A. Federalism
• B. Reserved powers
• C. Checks and balances
• D. Separation of powers

Answer: (A)

Federalism. The Tenth Amendment says that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people. This establishes a division of power between the national government and the states, clarifying that states keep authority over matters not specifically given to the federal government. Reserved powers are a feature of this arrangement, but the larger idea is federalism—the distribution of power between national and state governments. It’s not about checks and balances or separation of powers, which describe other structural ideas about how government operates.

Federalism. The Tenth Amendment says that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people. This establishes a division of power between the national government and the states, clarifying that states keep authority over matters not specifically given to the federal government. Reserved powers are a feature of this arrangement, but the larger idea is federalism—the distribution of power between national and state governments. It’s not about checks and balances or separation of powers, which describe other structural ideas about how government operates.