Which amendment reserves powers not delegated to the United States to the states or the people?

Which amendment reserves powers not delegated to the United States to the states or the people?

• A. The Tenth Amendment
• B. The First Amendment
• C. The Fourth Amendment
• D. The Thirteenth Amendment

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is federalism: the Constitution assigns certain powers to the national government and reserves the rest to the states or the people. The tenth amendment embodies this by declaring that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. That explicit statement about unassigned powers is why it’s the best answer for who holds those powers. Other amendments address specific rights or protections—such as freedom of expression or protection against unreasonable searches or the end of slavery—not the general allocation of powers between national and state governments.

The key idea here is federalism: the Constitution assigns certain powers to the national government and reserves the rest to the states or the people. The tenth amendment embodies this by declaring that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. That explicit statement about unassigned powers is why it’s the best answer for who holds those powers. Other amendments address specific rights or protections—such as freedom of expression or protection against unreasonable searches or the end of slavery—not the general allocation of powers between national and state governments.