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Unit

The Bill of Rights and Federalism

Guiding question

Explores the powers reserved to the states as provided by the Tenth Amendment. Explains the Founders’ understanding of a federalist system and the expansion and contraction of the federal government’s power.

Published
Nov 6, 2020
U.S. Capitol building with its dome and columns under a clear blue sky.

Lessons

The United States Capitol building, featuring a large dome and classical architecture against a blue sky.
What is a Federal Republic?
  • 4 Activities
  • 80 min

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention embraced the difficult duty of crafting a government that appropriately distributed the power between the national government and the states. For the Founders, the principle of federalism was a means of protecting liberty by limiting and dividing government power. This lesson explores the principle of federalism, how it is constructed in the Constitution, and  the relationship between national and state powers.

Red barn surrounded by green fields and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
What is the Commerce Clause?
  • 3 Activities
  • 35 min

Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce, granted in the Commerce Clause, is often invoked as justification for laws regulating a wide variety of economic activities. How much power does the Commerce Clause allow the federal government to have over the states? This lesson examines this question by looking at the principle behind this clause, the Founders intentions, and how the Supreme Court has interpreted the clause throughout American History.

Standards

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