Article 4 - The States

After describing the powers of the three branches of the national government, Article 4 describes what powers are left to the states. The boundaries of these powers was a source of deep controversy, and indeed the question of "states rights" versus "Federal rights" led directly to the Civil War. It was not decided peacefully. I wondered about that problem during the time when we were guiding Iraq to create a constitution in a few months. How could we expect a successful outcome when it took us over 80 years to resolve the question by waging the bloodiest war in our history? Indeed, the question is not totally resolved even today.

Listen to Article 4.