Question

Why do you suppose the framers of the Constitution felt it necessary to include the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights? Choose all that apply.

Options:
A. There was genuine concern based on historical experience that the Constitution would not be ratified by the states unless it clearly spelled out the rights of the states.
B. The states voted to add this amendment; it was not written by the authors of the Constitution because they lacked the political power necessary to take this position.
C. It was necessary to explain that all authority not specifically directed to the federal government or denied to the states rested with the individual states.
D. The states needed to have the guaranteed authority to collect some of the federal government’s tax revenue and this was the only way to make that process legal.

Answer 1

The framers included the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights to ensure that the Constitution would be ratified, to affirm that powers not granted to the federal government were reserved to the states, and to respect state sovereignty in the federal system. (option A & C)

Step-by-step explanation:

The framers of the Constitution felt it necessary to include the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights for several reasons:

A: There was concern that the Constitution might not be ratified by the states unless it explicitly clarified the rights reserved for the states, based on historical experiences with central authority.

C: The Tenth Amendment was needed to clearly state that all authority not given to the federal government, nor denied to the states, resided with the individual states, ensuring the protection of their sovereignty.

The framers recognized the importance of the states and wanted to protect their autonomy within the new federal system, as well as afford them the power to influence Constitutional amendments.

Option B is not accurate since the states did not vote to add this amendment; rather, it was proposed by the first Congress. Option D falsely suggests that the Tenth Amendment was to guarantee states a share of federal tax revenue, which it was not purposed to do.