Question

A high school student in San Antonio, Texas, who brought an unloaded handgun to school was charged with violating the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. The student challenged the charge, claiming that Congress did not have the power to override state law within public schools. In the 1995 case United States v. Lopez, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress did not have the power to regulate public schools. Instead, the Court found that that power belonged to individual states.
Explain which constitutional principle this scenario illustrates. What evidence led you to that conclusion?
a) Popular Sovereignty
b) Republicanism
c) Rule of Law
d) Limited Government
e) Federalism
f) Separation of Powers
g) Checks and Balances

Answer 1

Answer:

e) Federalism

Explanation:

The text in the question reflects the principle of federalism.

The constitutional principle of federalism states that the United States is a perpetual union of individual states, that voluntarily give only some specific powers to a central, federal government.

The constitution says that the federal government only has those powers specifically stated by the constitution. These are the powers that individual states have submitted to the federal government.

Everything else, is left to the states. And the right to regulate public school is one of those things that are left to the states.