Final answer:
Reserved powers are state powers not explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution. Proper exercise includes regulating pollution and licensing professionals, while creating currency or treaties are improper as they are federal prerogatives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Reserved Powers
Reserved powers are those not explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution but rather retained by the states. These powers allow states to exercise control over areas that are critical to their daily governance and the welfare of their citizens. For instance, states have the autonomy to regulate practices linked to public health and safety, such as creating regulations on groundwater pollution from fertilizer use or defining the credentials required for lawyers to practice within the state. These activities are within the proper scope of state authority.
Examples of Proper and Improper Exercise of Reserved Powers
Proper exercise of reserved powers might include Iowa updating its regulations on groundwater pollution to protect environmental and public health. Similarly, California can mandate specific qualifications for lawyers to practice in the state, ensuring professional standards are met. Improper exercises of reserved powers are actions that contravene the Constitution, like a state creating its own currency, which is expressly forbidden by Article I, Section 10. Contracts like treaties with other countries, as attempted by Texas with Mexico, are the exclusive remit of the national government. Moreover, no state, including Alaska, has the power to secede from the union unilaterally.
The careful balance of power between state and federal governments is central to the American political system, allowing for local autonomy while preserving national unity.