At the risk of sounding like an idiot, I have a simple question regarding the 10th amendment.

I'm no constitutional scholar, so I was wondering if some of you folks could help me better understand this part highlighted in red:

 "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."

I have a wild ass guess as to what it means, but I figured I'd get the input from folks who know better than me.

Thanks in advance!

Read it as "nor powers the Constitution prohibits the states from exercising."

Article 1, section 10 specifically lists powers which are prohibited to the states.  The rest of the constitution lists powers that are delegated to the United States.  Article 1, section 6, for example, lists the powers reserved to the Legislative branch.  Those powers are prohibited to the states by the 10th amendment.

No State shall enter into any

Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of

Marque and Reprisal; coin Money;

emit Bills of Credit; make

any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts;

pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law

impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any

Title of Nobility.













 

Thanks.

That's what I figured, but the way it is written (specificly the words "by it" and "to the states" was confusing to to me.

It's a reference to the Art 1 Sec 10 powers-denial, and the restrictions of Article 6, and any other restrictions placed on the states elsewhere in the document....





Modern translation would be:





'Every power that is not granted to the federal government (or denied to the states) by the constitution, is reserved for the states, and if not claimed by the states, falls to the people'
 

Actually it would be:



Every power not expressly granted to the states will be taken and regulated by the federal government when they feel like it or when the exercising of said power may harm their control of the country and it's people.