Question

Today Americans generally

feel it's appropriate for the government to keep an eye on everything from airline
safety, to food contamination, to children's well-being. What has changed? Do
Americans still operate on the principle that the government is limited to what the
Constitution says it can do? To receive full-credit you must relate your answer to
the notion of federalism.

Answer 1

No, Americans do not operate on the principle that the government is limited to what the constitution says it can do.

Step-by-step explanation:

"Federalism in the United States is the constitutional division of power between U.S. state governments and the federal government of the United States."

Many clauses in the Constitution give different parts of the government something called implied powers. These are powers not directly stated in the Constitution. A specific example of this is the 10th Amendment, which states "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 direct quote from the Constitution states that any powers that are not specifically given to the federal government belong to the states or the people. An example of this would be the ability of states to hold elections. States are allowed to do this because it is an implied power of the 10th amendment. So while things like airline safety and food regulations are not explicitly stated in the Constitution, there are clauses that give the federal government the implied power to do it. Because implied powers exist, Americans do not operate on the principle that the government is limited to what the constitution says it can do.

Hope this helps! You can find other examples of implied powers other than the 10th Amendment in the Constitution :)