Final answer:
The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution nor prohibited to the states, to the states themselves or to the people. It underlines states' rights in the federal system, embodying the principle of constitutional Federalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under 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 amendment is a cornerstone of constitutional Federalism and is often referred to as the reserved powers clause. In essence, it defines the balance of power between the federal government and the states, ensuring that any power not given to the federal government is available to the states or the people, unless it is explicitly prohibited by the Constitution. The Tenth Amendment was influenced by the Anti-Federalists who were concerned about protecting state sovereignty and ensuring that the federal government did not overstep its bounds.
The reserved powers of the states are not specifically listed in the Constitution. The assumption was that states would retain all powers that were not forbidden to them or assigned to the national government. However, to address concerns that the national government might claim more powers than it was entitled to, the Tenth Amendment explicitly affirms that these unspecified powers belong to the states or the people.