... influence the other vary considerably. The basic principle of federalism is fixed in the Tenth Amendment [ratified in 1791] to the Constitution which states: '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 Constitution set up a division of power between the federal and state governments, which initially limited the federal unit to the fields of defence, foreign affairs, the control of the currency, and the control of commerce between states. However, over the years this division of power has been eroded, so that today the federal government has functions that have been extended and touch on nearly all aspects of life for American citizens. Both Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan have tried to cut back the power of the federal government and give back to the states power that was ...

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