1.3: Federalism
Federalism is the American political system's arrangement of powers and responsibilities among national and state governments. The Constitution specifies exclusive and concurrent powers for national and state governments. Other powers are implied and determined by day-to-day politics.
Watch these lectures.
Select and read one of Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Papers (16 or 17). In both of these essays, Hamilton argues the need for a strong national government to unify the country, and seeks to address concerns that the proposed Constitution will lead to tyranny.
Also read James Madison's Federalist 39, which strikes a more conciliatory tone towards the federal aspects of the government (Hamilton only expounds on the national aspects). Madison believes that only a republican form of government can carry forward the principles of the Revolution and demonstrate that self-government is both possible and practical.
1.3.1: Defining Federalism
Watch this two-part presentation on the key elements of federalism in the American political system. Layer cake federalism (also known as "dual federalism") describes a certain form of federalism, in which the national and state governments have distinct realms of authority that do not overlap and should not intrude. This form of federalism is in direct contrast to marble cake or cooperative federalism, which is based on a mixing of authority and programs among the national, state, and local governments.
1.3.2: Federalism in Practice
Watch this two-part presentation on cooperative and fiscal federalism. While fiscal federalism has resulted in federal monies for states in a wide variety of areas - agricultural, transportation, and research - some states have expressed concern about burdensome regulations and requirements. In recent years, there has been a push to return power to the states (devolution), placing the burden of a wide range of domestic programs on state governments so that they can design programs in a way that suits their own residents.
The Democratic and Republican parties stand for different principles with regard to federalism. Democrats prefer policies to be set by the national government. They opt for national standards for consistency across states and localities, often through attaching stringent conditions to the use of national funds. Republicans usually decry such centralization and endorse giving powers to the states and reducing funds for the national government. These differences reveal the parties' divergent political ideologies on the "proper" role of government.
1.3.3: Federalism in History
Read this report. The authors identify several significant eras and events in the evolution of American federalism and provide a description of each.
Checkpoint
Answer these ungraded questions to see how well you have understood the course material in this section.