which supreme court decision restricted federal authority and enhanced state authority

One of the Supreme Court decisions that significantly restricted federal authority and enhanced state authority was the case of “United States v. Lopez” in 1995. This case involved the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, which made it a federal offense for an individual to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone.

The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that the Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded Congress’s authority under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. The Court held that possessing a firearm in a school zone did not have a substantial effect on interstate commerce and therefore fell outside the scope of federal regulatory power. This decision marked a significant shift in the Court’s interpretation of the Commerce Clause, limiting the federal government’s ability to regulate certain activities that were previously considered within its jurisdiction. It also reaffirmed the principle of federalism by bolstering state authority in areas not explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution.