Amendment X Of the U.S. Constitution Sarah Weitz

Quoted from the Constitution: “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 U.S. Constitution Source - http://constitutionus.com/

Simplified: The tenth amendment to the Constitution states that any powers, or rights, not specifically granted to the federal or state governments belong to the states, or the people.

Opposers of the Bill of Rights Certain Framers, headed by Virginian representative Thomas Jefferson, opposed a Bill of Rights. He stated in a letter to James Madison, “a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, & what no government should refuse, or rest on inference.” In other terms, Jefferson believed that the Bill of Rights would limit the people’s rights to only the ones granted in the bill. Source - http://www.history.org/

Purpose of Amendment X The tenth amendment to the Constitution served as a compromise between those who supported and opposed the Bill of Rights. Those who supported a bill believed that if one wasn’t included, all rights of the people would be ignored. Those who opposed thought that a bill would limit their rights to only the ones in the bill. Amendment X basically stated that the citizen’s rights include, but are not limited to the rights stated in the bill. This ensures that the national government does not overstep its boundaries. This satisfied both parties, and allowed the Bill of Rights to be amended to the U.S. Constitution. Source - http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/bill_of_rights/media/ten.htm

Type of Amendment The tenth amendment is a special type of amendment - it is a truism, as declared by the Supreme Court. A truism is basically an amendment that adds nothing to the Constitution, but states a true fact for emphasis. This truism was put in place to show that the Federal government has jurisdiction over some things and the state government has power over others. This explains why there are few tangible examples of this amendment and more references to it instead.

Examples Amendment Ten, though not directly referenced in many court cases, is personified through state laws concerning legalizing medical marijuana. The power of controlling these substances is not delegated to the federal nor state governments, therefore it falls into the hands of the people. Each state votes on the issue independently, making their own decisions on the matter based on the people’s views. This ensures the federal government does not overreach its boundaries and make the decision for everyone. As long as there is no networking of substances across states, this principle allows more people to express their views in everyday issues. Source - https://www.oyez.org/cases/2004/03-1454