The Bill of Rights

TCI 10.5 Other Rights and Powers

Americans have long argued about the death penalty. Here an opponent holds protest signs against the death penalty.

Multiple Choice

What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?

• Magna Carta

• Declaration of Independence

• Articles of Confederation

• Bill of Rights

• The Big Ten

The last two amendments were included to help keep a proper balance of rights and power among the federal government, the people, and the states.

Ninth Amendment: 

Rights Retained by the People

One argument raised against putting a bill of rights in the Constitution was that no such list could be complete. If some rights were listed and others were not, did this mean that people had only the listed rights?

The Ninth Amendment provides the answer by saying that even though “certain rights” are listed in the Constitution, other rights and liberties not listed there are also “retained [kept] by the people.” The rights protected under the Constitution are not the only rights people have. An example of this is the right to privacy.

So in other words, just because there is a list of rights in the Constitution, it doesn't mean that the government can take away other rights of the people that are not listed.

What are some "other rights"?

• The right to eat junk food

• The right to a job

• The right to dye your hair green

• The right to clean drinking water

Multiple Choice

What right or rights does the Ninth Amendment protect?

• Freedom of religion

• Right to a trial by jury

• Right to bear arms

• Freedom of the press

• All the other rights not listed in the Constitution

Multiple Choice

Robbie said this amendment states there are more rights than what are listed in the constitution. Which amendment is this? 

• 9th 
• 10th
• 13th 
• 14th

Multiple Choice

Overall, what does the 9th Amendment mean?

• It means that the government cannot take away rights even if they are not listed in the U.S. Constitution.

• It means the government can do anything they want.

• The government can continue to add to the list of things that are not rights of the U.S. people.

• It has no true meaning.

Tenth Amendment: 

Powers Reserved to the States

The Tenth Amendment was included to protect the states from excessive federal power. It says that powers not given to the national government by the Constitution are “reserved to the states . . . or to the people.”

This amendment is known as the reserved powers clause. Reserved powers are those that the Constitution does not specifically give to the national government or specifically prohibit the states from having.

Multiple Choice

What are reserved powers?

• The rights given to citizens in the Bill of Rights

• Powers not specifically given to the government, or powers they are prohibited from having

• The rights granted to Americans after the completion of the Bill of Rights

• Powers shared by the government and the people

So what are reserved powers?  The examples are numerous, and they affect many areas of everyday life.  States use their reserved powers to pass laws regulating speed limits for drivers or to determine how many days students attend public schools.  States have the power to run elections, to regulate businesses inside their borders, and to set up local governments.  Do you get your hair cut in a salon or barber shop?  Do you visit the doctor when you are sick?  The Tenth Amendment gives your state the power to issue business licenses to hair salons and the power to make sure your doctor is licensed to practice medicine in your state.

The last two amendments were included to help keep a proper balance of rights and power among the federal government, the people, and the states.

Multiple Choice

The United States Constitution defines the power of what government?

• State

• Federal

• County

• City

• All of the Above

Multiple Choice

Who holds the powers not specifically defined in the Constitution?

• Federal government

• President

• Supreme Court

• States and the people

• U,S, Senate

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a power of the federal government?

• Issuing marriage licenses

• Maintaining schools

• Declaring war

• All of the above

• None of the above

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a power of the state government?

• Police and fire departments

• Regulating money

• Declaring war

• All of the above

• None of the above

Multiple Choice

True or False: States will sometimes cite the Tenth Amendment as the reason why they don't have to follow a federal law.

• True

• False