What is the purpose of the first 9 amendments?

Answer 1

Problem: In 1787, too many people didn't like the idea of a strong central government. They (the Anti-Federalists) feared that a powerful Federal government would become TOO powerful, and would grow too large. The Federalists believed that this could not happen; the Constitution granted only specific and LIMITED powers (18 of them, the "Enumerated Powers" of Article 1 Section 8) and that the Federal government would never have authority to do anything more. The Anti-Federalists responded that EVERY central government in history had acquired powers they weren't intended to have, and they wanted some assurances that it wouldn't happen again. The Anti-Federalists wanted a specific "Bill of Rights" that could never be broken.

The Bill of Rights was the compromise. The Federalists believed it to be pointless and unnecessary, because the government did not have any power to (for example) ban the ownership of guns or the right of free speech. But since the Federal government couldn't do those things anyway, there was no harm in listing them in the Bill of Rights.

We can see now that the Federalists were wrong and the Anti-Federalists were right; our Federal government has grown far too big, and too powerful, WAY beyond the visions (and fears) of the Founders.

The first eight amendments list a number of things that the Founders considered essential, things that needed to be specified right up front.

The 9th Amendment reads:"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

This means, "Just because we didn't list them specifically in the first 8 amendments, that doesn't mean that other rights aren't just as important. You can't infringe on those rights, either."

The 10th Amendment says: "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."

And the 10th Amendment means "Any power or authority that we didn't explicitly list in Article 1 Section 8 isn't yours, Congress. Only the States or the People can make those decisions."

95% of our Federal government violates the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.