How does the tenth amendment affect me?

Answer 1

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people."

It affects you because this says that government doesn't have the right or power to create new powers, because they're not given to them by the Constitution.

Answer 2

TENTH AMENDMENT - The Tenth Amendment provides that " 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. " U.S. Const. amend. X. As a textual matter, therefore, the Tenth Amendment "states but a truism that all is retained which has not been surrendered." United States v. Darby, 312 U.S. 100, 124 (1941). By its terms, the Amendment does not purport to limit the commerce power or any other enumerated power of Congress.

This essentually means, lacking a federal, state or local law against it, you have the right to do certain things and be left alone as long as what you are doing doesn't harm others.

Answer 3

It doesn't, for a variety of reasons.

First of all, it has no additional effect at all. It is a redundant statement in the document that created the federal government that the federal government has no power not specifically given in the Constitution.

Second, the Constitution was between the individual states and the federal government, and did not bind or obligate individuals in any way, nor did it create obligations to individuals on the part of the federal government.

Third, and most significant, the tenth amendment doesn't affect you because the federal government has long since stopped observing it, mostly because people apparently want the government handouts and the war on drugs.

Answer 4

It doesn't anymore. I believe the supreme court said in the 1980s that it would not allow anymore cases to be heard in front of it regarding the 10th amendment.
That pretty much makes it ineffective.