What are the limits of federal power under the US Constitution?

Federal power is limited by the US Constitution. The Constitution grants certain exclusive powers to the federal government, such as the power to declare war, regulate interstate commerce, and lay and collect taxes. Other powers are reserved to the state government, such as laws and policy related to education, family law, and local taxation. The 10th Amendment to the US Constitution clearly states that any powers not specifically granted to the federal government are reserved to the states. This is known as the “federalism” principle and means that state governments have the primary power over most issues and the federal government only has limited authority. The Supreme Court has the power to decide cases related to the limits of federal power. In the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison, the Court established the principle of judicial review, which means that the Court can choose to hear a case and then decide whether or not a law violates the US Constitution. This decision is important because it limits the federal government’s power to only those powers granted to it by the Constitution. Since then, the Supreme Court has decided a number of cases related to the limits of federal power. In the 1964 case of Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, the Court upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited any form of discrimination in public accommodations. The decision affirmed the US government’s power to protect civil rights and set an important precedent for other civil rights cases. In West Virginia, federal power is limited to only those powers granted to it by the US Constitution. State government has the primary authority over most issues, as established by the 10th Amendment. The Supreme Court has the power to hear cases related to federal power and can decide if a law violates the US Constitution.

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