Which level of government does the Tenth Amendment give priority to regarding powers?

The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is significant as it establishes the principle of federalism by emphasizing the division of powers between the federal government and the states. The amendment specifically states that powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.

This means that any powers that are not explicitly outlined as federal responsibilities are assumed to lie within the authority of state governments. This foundational aspect of the Tenth Amendment reinforces the idea that state governments have a level of autonomy and sovereignty to govern themselves in areas not specifically managed by the federal government. Through this amendment, the Founding Fathers intended to create a balance between federal authority and state rights, allowing states to maintain control over numerous issues such as education, transportation, and local laws.

Municipal governments operate at a lower level than state governments and derive their authority from state constitutions and laws; similarly, international governments are not addressed within the scope of U.S. constitutional powers and are not considered in the context of the Tenth Amendment. Therefore, the emphasis on state powers in this amendment is clear and critical to understanding the framework of governance in the United States.