"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."

[Dr Rick]

The Constitution applies to the federal government. Its sole purpose was to spell out what the government can do.

The key principle of the Constitution is quite simple: positive grant. Unfortunately, this is not a phrase that many of us hear in daily banter these days. But, it's not a complicated principle at all.

What it means is this - the US federal government is authorized to exercise only those powers which are specifically given to it in the Constitution. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Period. End of story.

The founders felt so strongly about this principle that they codified it in law as the Tenth Amendment:

"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."

Just a casual review of the activities of the federal government would make clear that there's very little that it does which is actually authorized by the Constitution.

For many, many years, we've allowed our politicians to interpret and bend the rules of the Constitution; ostensibly for good reasons. But, we have to face reality. When you allow politicians to do this over long periods, eventually you end up with leaders who feel that the law doesn't apply at all.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

If we are to have a free society for the future, we must reign in this out-of-control federal government, and return to our Constitution; with a special emphasis on the limitations imposed on government by the Tenth Amendment.

[Melissa K]

i agree whole heartedly, gosh, i wish i had paid more attention in history classes. taking a crash course now in living history and in past. remembering things, and learning things i should already know..... my bad.