Plain-English Explanation
The Tenth Amendment reserves to the states, or to the people, all powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution or prohibited to the states. It is a foundational principle of federalism and the division of power between federal and state governments.
Relevant Provision
U.S. Const. amend. X: '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.'
Relevant Decisions
New York v. United States
New York v. United States, 505 U.S. 144 (1992)
Held that the federal government may not 'commandeer' state legislatures into enacting federal regulatory programs, grounded in the Tenth Amendment.
Printz v. United States
Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997)
Extended the anti-commandeering principle to bar the federal government from compelling state executive officials to administer federal law.