Answer: The framers envisioned that the federal government would be only have the powers outlined in the constitution and the states would have all other powers.
Explanation: This vision came to reality in the tenth amendment which states that "any power not specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution belongs to the States and the people". This was supposed to limit the powers of the federal government and prevent abuse of power. However, over time the federal government has become more powerful especially as there is a lot of latitude when interpreting implied powers of congress.