Constitution Quote by Barry M. Goldwater
““The Tenth Amendment recognizes the States' jurisdiction in certain areas. States' Rights means that the States have a right to act or not to act, as they see fit, in the areas reserved to them. The States may have duties corresponding to these rights, but the duties are owed to the people of the States, not to the federal government. Therefore, the recourse lies not with the federal government, which is not sovereign, but with the people who are, and who have full power to take disciplinary action. If the people are unhappy with say, their State's disability insurance program, they can bring pressure to bear on their state officials and, if that fails, they can elect a new set of officials. And if, in the unhappy event they should wish to divest themselves of this responsibility, they can amend the Constitution.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Constitutional Law, Barry M. Goldwater, 1964
The Tenth Amendment grants states authority over powers not given to the federal government, and the people hold ultimate control over state actions through political pressure and elections.
In simple terms: States have powers not given by the federal government, and people control those powers.
Key Takeaway
Use civic engagement to influence state policy.
Themes
federalism
citizen empowerment
constitutional law
Mood
concerned
determined
analytical
Type
political
educational
legal
When to use this quote
- voting
- public advocacy
- state policy reform
- constitutional amendment process
Key Concepts
states' rights
political accountability
constitutional amendment
Questions to Reflect On
- How can citizens effectively hold state officials accountable?
- What are the risks of excessive state autonomy?
A Different Perspective
Federal authority may still intervene in emergencies, limiting state autonomy.
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![“...[T]oday's Washington is about as attentive to the Tenth Amendment as the Unitarian Church is to the Book of Revelation.” quote by Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b72/joseph-sobran-6902_amendments_t-oday-s-washington-is-about-as-attentiv_404524.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
