Final answer:
The Tenth Amendment was added to the Bill of Rights to ensure states' powers are reserved unless expressly delegated to the federal government, reflecting the principles of American federalism and addressing Anti-Federalists' concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Tenth Amendment
The Tenth Amendment was added to the Bill of Rights primarily to reassure the Anti-Federalists that state governments would retain their own powers that were neither delegated to the federal government nor prohibited by the Constitution to the States. This reserved powers clause was a compromise to protect the small states and ensure that government power remained close to the people. It symbolizes the fundamental principle of American federalism, where the federal government possesses only those powers explicitly provided by the Constitution, with all other powers implicitly reserved to the states or the people.
By confirming these reserved powers, the Tenth Amendment serves as a natural inclusion in a statement of rights that belong to U.S. citizens, suggesting that if certain issues or powers are not mentioned in the Constitution, it does not mean the federal government can assume those powers, as they could potentially infringe on states' rights or individual liberties. The Supreme Court has also played a role in defining the scope of the Tenth Amendment through its doctrine of selective incorporation, ensuring certain fundamental liberties must be respected by the states.