Protect and Enhance Federalism

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The Framers of the Constitution intended federalism to act as a check not only on the national government, but on state governments as well. In addition to the relatively well known limits on Congress, the Constitution imposes a number of limitations on the states. For example, the Compact Clause (Article I, Section 10) prohibits states from entering into agreements with other states without congressional approval. This was intended to restrict the ability of groups of states to gang up on other states or on the federal government.