Any powers not expressly granted to the national government are to be exercised by the states. These powers are known as what?

• A. Reserved powers
• B. Enumerated powers
• C. Concurrent powers
• D. Implied powers

Answer: (A)

This describes reserved powers in a federal system. When the Constitution grants certain powers to the national government, any powers not specifically given to the federal government are kept for the states (and the people, per the Tenth Amendment). These are called reserved powers, and they underpin state authority over areas like licensing, education, local governance, and intrastate commerce, as long as they don’t conflict with federal laws.

The other terms refer to different arrangements: enumerated powers are those the Constitution explicitly grants to the national government; concurrent powers are shared by both levels of government; and implied powers are not written out but inferred as necessary to carry out the federal powers.