Just a casual review of the activities of the federal government would [...]]]> The founders felt so strongly about this principle that they made it in law as 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.”

Just a casual review of the activities of the federal government would make clear that there’s very little that it does which is actually authorized by the Constitution.
For many, many years, we’ve allowed our politicians to interpret and bend the rules of the Constitution; ostensibly for good reasons. But, we have to face reality. When you allow politicians to do this over long periods, eventually you end up with leaders who feel that the law doesn’t apply at all.
Here are some of the powers they solemnly promised would be outside the federal sphere:

• governance of religion
• training the militia and appointing militia officers
• control over local government
• most crimes
• state justice systems
• family affairs
• real property titles and conveyances
• wills and inheritance
• the promotion of  useful arts in ways other than granting patents and copyrights
• control of personal property outside of commerce
• governance of the law of torts and contracts, except in suits between citizens of different states
• education
• services for the poor and unfortunate
• licensing of taverns
• roads other than post roads
• ferries and bridges
• regulation of fisheries, farms, and other business enterprises.

In recent news, several states have proclaimed their sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Do you think Massachusetts is next?
This may be the revolution of 2009.