The Tenth Amendment to the United States [[Constitution]] is a part of the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments that were added to the Constitution shortly after its ratification. It was proposed on September 25, 1789, and ratified on December 15, 1791. The Tenth Amendment reads as follows: "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 Tenth Amendment is a clear statement of federalism, which is the division of power between the federal government and the states. Essentially, it states that all powers that the Constitution does not specifically grant to the federal government, or specifically deny to the states, are reserved for the states or the people. ## Limited powers This amendment was intended to confirm the understanding of the people at the time the Constitution was adopted, that powers not granted to the United States were reserved to the states or to the people. It was designed to limit the federal government's powers to only those specifically enumerated in the Constitution. Over the years, the interpretation of the Tenth Amendment has varied greatly. In some periods of history, [[The Supreme Court]] has interpreted it to grant broad powers to the states (known as states' rights), such as in the years leading up to the [[Civil War]]. At other times, the Court has interpreted the Amendment to give more power to the federal government, such as during [[The New Deal]] era and the [[civil rights]] movement. Today, debates over the balance of power between the federal government and the states continue, and the Tenth Amendment is often cited in these discussions. These debates touch on a wide range of issues, from education policy to healthcare reform to gun control. Overall, the Tenth Amendment is a critical part of the [[Constitution]]'s balance of power, providing a check on federal power and preserving a role for state governments.