How can amendments shift power between national and state governments over time?

• A. Amendments can expand or contract federal authority and state sovereignty, such as Civil War amendments increasing national power; later amendments further define rights and procedures.
• B. Amendments only affect the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.
• C. Amendments automatically revoke previous amendments.
• D. Amendments do not affect federal-state power.

Answer: (A)

Power in the federal system shifts through amendments by expanding or limiting federal authority and state sovereignty. The Civil War amendments show how the national government can step in to guarantee rights that states once restricted, changing the balance of power toward the national level by prohibiting slavery and constraining state action through due process and equal protection. As new amendments are added, they often set national standards for rights and procedures that states must follow, further redefining how far the national government can go in areas like voting, civil rights, and governance. For example, rules about how senators are chosen and protections against discriminatory state laws illustrate how amendments can both broaden and refine national influence while also reinforcing states’ responsibilities to uphold rights. This explains why the idea that amendments can expand or contract federal power and state sovereignty, with Civil War amendments expanding national power and later amendments clarifying rights and procedures, is the best description. The other statements miss how amendments operate beyond just one court’s jurisdiction, don’t reflect that amendments don’t automatically revoke earlier ones, and overlook how amendments can affect federal-state power.