10th Amendment
10th Amendment: The Enumerated Powers of States
During the debates over ratifying the Constitution, its opponents said Itโs not enough to list what the federal government can do. To make the document clear, you also need a list of examples of what the federal government cannot do. Path to Liberty: June 10, 2020...
Why the 10th Amendment? Federalism as a Tool to Advance Liberty
Although some people believe the 10th Amendment is just about advancing “states rights,” for the Founders, devolving power away from the general government was not about empowering state governments. It was a tool to oppose the great enemy of liberty...
The 10th Amendment: Sovereignty of the People of the Several States
In the system of the Founders, the powers of both the “general government and the state governments” are “emanations of power from the people.” The 10th Amendment was widely understood to reaffirm this revolutionary principle. Path to Liberty,...
The 10th Amendment and the Virginia Ratifying Convention
In Virginia, there was pretty fierce debate over the ratification of the Constitution. The principle of delegated and reserved powers – which eventually became the 10th Amendment – was a big focus of people like James Madison, George Mason, Patrick Henry,...