How does the Supreme Court delineate between federal and state power?
The delineation between federal and state powers in the United States is established by the U.S. Constitution. According to the Tenth Amendment, any powers not specifically delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states to exercise. This means that the federal government is limited to the powers explicitly granted to it in the Constitution, while the states have the freedom to pass their own laws governing any areas not addressed by the federal government. The Supreme Court is the nation’s highest court and is responsible for interpreting the Constitution. It is the court’s job to determine which powers belong to the federal government and which belong to the states. If a dispute arises between the federal government and a state over which one has the right to address an issue, the Supreme Court can settle the issue by interpreting the Constitution. For example, when the state of New Hampshire passed a law requiring all voters to present a photo ID before casting a ballot, the Supreme Court was asked to determine if the law violated the Constitution. The court ultimately found the law to be unconstitutional, ruling that the power to regulate voting fell within the federal government’s authority, not that of the states. In this way, the Supreme Court can delineate between federal and state power by interpreting the Constitution and determining which powers belong to the federal government and which belong to the states.
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