This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Friday, March 19th, 2010.

I'm Caleb Brown.

State lawmakers are trying to assert many of the powers not delegated to the federal government the so-called 10-thirds named

for the 10th Amendment are getting some traction. The challenges are significant but

the struggle is worthwhile. So says Cato Institute Vice President for Legal Affairs, Roger Pillach.

Given what's going on in Washington today, it's not surprising that we're seeing a rebellion in the states and a claim by many state

legislatures and governors that this action in Washington, the health care

debate being the most prominent example is in flagrant violation of the

Constitution and in particular of the Tenth Amendment's protection of state powers under our federal constitution.

Let me just give you a summary of my view on this movement and then discuss more fully the history to show how it is that we got

to this state of affairs.

In summary, I'm fully sympathetic with this movement which has been called the 10thers because of its

connection with the 10th Amendment. Legally I don't think it's going to go very

far but I still support it because politically it needs to be said,

and because it is being said, it may lead to changes in our political situation such that we have

a restraint on the federal government coming from it.

Now let me give you a quick history of how we get to this,

state of affairs.

You could start, I suppose, with the Articles of Confederation,

which were drafted in 1776 and completed in 1777 and then

finally ratified in 1781 during the course of the Revolutionary War.

And they created a federal government,

...