Final answer:
Reserved powers, as defined by the Tenth Amendment, are powers that are not delegated to the national government or prohibited to the states, and are thus reserved for the state governments only. This was to ensure a balance of power between the federal and state governments, fulfilling the Anti-Federalists' intention to preserve state sovereignty within federalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Definition of Reserved Powers
The reserved powers are defined by the Tenth Amendment, one of the cornerstones of American constitutional law and a fundamental element in federalism. According to 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." This means that any power that is not given to the national government, nor denied to the states, is reserved for the states or the people. The correct answer to which powers the term 'reserved' refers to is the state governments only (a). This provision was a result of the Anti-Federalists' push to ensure states retained a significant amount of authority and that the federal government's powers were limited.
The reserved powers clause supports the principle that states can govern themselves in areas not specifically covered by federal law. Examples of areas commonly governed by state law include education, police powers, and land use regulations. Some powers, like the right to levy taxes, are held concurrently by both state and federal governments.