State and Federal powers

State and Federal powers

Why do state and federal governments share powers? For example, things such as creating and collecting taxes, building highways, borrowing money, making and enforcing laws, chartering banks and corporations, spending money for the betterment of the general welfare and taking/condemning private property with just compensation.

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State and Federal powers

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Jul 05, 2011
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For the Greater Good?
by: herbert richmond

Was Abraham Lincoln declaring war between the north and south the very first act of disregarding the tenth amendment or was this necessary for Manifest Destiny to happen? Agriculture versus Industry?

Jul 04, 2011
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Separation of Powers
by: The Minuteman

Thanks for your question. What you are referring to is the "separation of powers." This is most clearly understood from the Tenth Amendment which says "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."

It means the federal government only has authority to rule in matters that are given to it by the Constitution. All other matters are given to the states. Clearly matters overlap sometimes, in which case precedence usually goes to the federal government.

More about the Tenth Amendment here.

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