 |  |
One of the driving principles for the Founding Fathers in drafting the Constitution of the United States was the doctrine of Enumerated Powers. Duties and obligations of government were listed specifically by jurisdictions of authority. Any power not listed, then by default, did not rest with the federal government. This was a direct reversal in the evolution of societies and kingdoms prior to the drafting of this great document. Historically, the king reserved all rights. Nobility and privilege not transferred by hereditary title returned to the king. The Founding Fathers wanted to make sure that all powers of the government, now or in the future, were granted by “the consent of the Governed.”
The specific language in the Constitution that established the doctrine of Enumerated Powers is found in Article 1, Section 8, as follows, “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.” The purpose of this principle is to limit the power of government and to ensure that the people are the ultimate authority in governing themselves. The above graphics illustrate the concept. We are all connected through different levels of government, but the key point is that there is certain jurisdictional authority, obligation, and responsibility, exclusive to each jurisdictional level. We do not all operate inside the sphere of the federal government. Jurisdictional authority dictates exclusivity of power. Otherwise, without this defined authority, we are nothing more than citizens totally beholden to a king. A king or government which decides how services should be provided to the people will also decide priorities and the extent of liberty for the people.
The specific language in the Constitution that established the doctrine of Enumerated Powers is found in Article 1, Section 8, as follows, “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.” The purpose of this principle is to limit the power of government and to ensure that the people are the ultimate authority in governing themselves. The above graphics illustrate the concept. We are all connected through different levels of government, but the key point is that there is certain jurisdictional authority, obligation, and responsibility, exclusive to each jurisdictional level. We do not all operate inside the sphere of the federal government. Jurisdictional authority dictates exclusivity of power. Otherwise, without this defined authority, we are nothing more than citizens totally beholden to a king. A king or government which decides how services should be provided to the people will also decide priorities and the extent of liberty for the people.
RSS Feed
