What are reserved powers?

• A. Powers reserved to the states or the people under the Tenth Amendment.
• B. Powers reserved to the national government only.
• C. Powers shared between the branches of the federal government.
• D. Powers granted to cities and counties only.

Answer: (A)

Reserved powers are the authorities kept for the states (or the people) because the national government is not granted them in the Constitution. 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 respectively, or to the people. This is why states decide on matters like education, licensing, and local governance, while the federal government handles national matters such as defense and interstate commerce. Local governments get their authority from the states, not from the federal government, so their powers also fall under state authority. In brief, reserved powers are those state (or people) powers not delegated to the national government.