Although the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited states from denying the right to vote based on race, many states subsequently enacted literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and poll taxes that effectively disenfranchised African American voters. Which of the following statements best explains the constitutional basis that allowed states to implement these discriminatory practices?
- Under Article I and the Tenth Amendment, states retain the primary authority to determine voter qualifications and administer elections, enabling them to construct barriers that did not explicitly reference race.Answer
- BThe Fifteenth Amendment's protections applied exclusively to federal elections, leaving states with unchecked authority to regulate state and local elections.
- CThe Supreme Court initially interpreted the Tenth Amendment as nullifying the federal government's power to enforce constitutional amendments within state borders.
- DNational political parties functioned under a delegate model, deferring entirely to state party organizations to set voting requirements.
Answer
Under Article I and the Tenth Amendment, states retain the primary authority to determine voter qualifications and administer elections, enabling them to construct barriers that did not explicitly reference race.
The correct answer explains that the United States Constitution, through Article I and the Tenth Amendment, leaves the administration of elections and the setting of voter qualifications primarily to the states. Because the Fifteenth Amendment specifically prohibited discrimination based on 'race, color, or previous condition of servitude,' states were able to exploit their reserved powers to establish voter qualifications—such as literacy tests and poll taxes—that did not explicitly mention race but were designed and applied in a racially discriminatory manner.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Constitutional Amendments and Voting Rights
Estimated Time:1m 30s