Which amendment reserves powers not delegated to the United States to the states or the people?

• A. The 9th Amendment
• B. The 10th Amendment
• C. The 11th Amendment
• D. The 12th Amendment

Answer: (B)

Think about how powers are divided between the national government and the states. The idea being tested is that if the Constitution doesn’t give a power to the federal government, it isn’t taken away from the people or the states; it belongs there to be used by the states or the people. That explicit statement is found in the amendment that says powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. This is the mechanism that enshrines federalism by keeping those unspecified powers with states or individuals.

That makes it the best match because it directly codifies the principle of reserved powers. The ninth amendment, while protecting rights not listed in the Constitution, focuses on individual rights rather than who holds governmental powers. The eleventh amendment deals with the ability of individuals to sue states in federal court, touching on state sovereignty in a different way. The twelfth amendment revises how Presidents and Vice Presidents are elected, which is unrelated to the distribution of powers between national and state governments.