- Video
Have the Amendments Favored the National Government?
Which Amendments have strengthened the national government, and how have they done so? Professor Michael McConnell gives an overview of how different amendments have strengthened the scope of power of the federal government. For instance - the 18th Amendment (prohibition) strengthened the US as a nation-state because it created a national police force. The 16th Amendment (income tax) gave the federal government a much greater ‘power of the purse.’ The 17th Amendment weakens the authority of states by replacing the election of Senators by state legislatures to direct election by the people of those states. Overall, the Courts serve as the greatest check on the expansion of the power of the federal government by determining when it oversteps its proper scope of authority. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XZH1_lflxdE