Under the 10th amendment of the constitution, the constitution reserves to the states all powers not specifically granted to the federal government. an example of a power reserved to the states is:
The Tenth Amendment declares, "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." In other words, states have all powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution.
These powers have taken many different forms. States must take responsibility for areas such as:
ownership of property education of inhabitants implementation of welfare and other benefits programs distribution of aid protecting people from local threats maintaining a justice system setting up local governments such as counties and municipalities maintaining state highways setting up the means of administrating local roads regulation of industry raising funds to support their activities
