Also, a state that is not otherwise limited by its own constitution certainly can mandate that its citizens/residents purchase health insurance because under the U.S. Constitution the states retained all of the so-called general police powers (i.e., powers to provide for the welfare of the people within the state's jurisdiction) that were not specifically denied to the states by the Constitution itself. On the other hand, the federal government possesses absolutely no powers not granted to it by the Constitution, and in particular possesses no general police power (i.e., it cannot simply regulate for the general welfare of the people if the regulation in question does not fit within one of the enumerated powers).
As such, since there is no enumerated power that would permit the Congress to mandate that individuals purchase health insurance, and further, since such a mandate would be an unapportioned head, or capitation, tax and therefore affirmatively prohibited by the Constitution, the so-called individual mandate the Democrats wish to impose for the purpose of controlling all of us is unconstitutional, period.
