How do reserved powers differ from concurrent powers?

• A. Reserved powers are held by the federal government
• B. Reserved powers are held by states; concurrent powers are shared by national and state governments
• C. Concurrent powers are unused
• D. Reserved powers only apply during emergencies

Answer: (B)

In the U.S. system of federalism, powers are divided between the national government and the states. Reserved powers are those that belong to the states because the Constitution does not grant them to the federal government, a idea reinforced by the Tenth Amendment. Concurrent powers are those that both levels can exercise at the same time, such as collecting taxes, building roads, and enforcing laws. When both levels regulate the same issue, federal law can preempt state law, but the key point is that these powers are shared, not given exclusively to one level. That distinction—states holding reserved powers and both levels sharing concurrent powers—is the best way to describe how these two types of powers differ. Reserved powers aren’t limited to emergencies, and they aren’t powers of the federal government.