This document provides an overview of federalism in the United States. It defines federalism as the sharing of power between the national and state governments. It outlines the divisions of power between the branches of government and levels of government as established in the Constitution. The document then discusses the evolution of federalism over time from a dual system to a more cooperative model with an expanding federal role. It analyzes different eras of federalism from 1789 to the present.

1. POL 205
Fall 2017

3. INSTRUCTIONS
With your copies of the U.S. Constitution,
complete the worksheet as a group.

5. Congress:
Legislate
President:
Execute
Judiciary:
Interpret

15.  Protects AgainstTyranny
 Dispersion and Diffusion of Power
 Increases Participation
 Improves Efficiency
 Ensures Policy Responsiveness / Innovation
 Reduces Conflict

16.  Creates Confusion & Reduces Accountability
 Increases Conflict
 “Not in My Backyard” (NIMBY)
 Impact on National Unity
 Creates Inequality
 Money, Economic Inequality, Law and Justice

18.  Grants specific powers
to national government
 Limits on powers
granted to federal
government and states
 Lays out relationships
among states and
between states and
federal government

20. What is the supremacy clause?

22.  Article I, Section 8
 Examples:
 Coin money
 Regulate interstate and
foreign commerce
 Tax imports and exports
 Make treaties
 Declare war

24.  Known as “elastic clause”
 Grants Congress power to pass laws “which
shall be necessary and proper for carrying
into execution the Foregoing powers”

26.  TenthAmendment
 What is the “police power?”
 Guarantee Clause (Article IV, Section 4)
 “The United States shall guarantee to every state in
this union a republican form of government…”
 Federalist 39 (Madison)

28.  Taxing
 Borrowing and
Spending Money
 Establishing Court
Systems
 Regulating Elections

31. NATIONALAUTHORITY
 “Writ of Habeas Corpus”
 Latin for “have you the body”
STATEAUTHORITY
 States cannot enter
treaties or alliances
 14th and 15th Amendments
to Constitution
 Fourteenth: Due Pr0cess,
Equal Protection Clauses
 Fifteenth:Voting Rights

33. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
NATION AND STATES
 Supremacy Clause
 ArticleVI, Clause 2
 “This Constitution, and the
Laws of the United States…
shall be the supreme law
of the land…”
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN STATES
 Full Faith and Credit Clause
 Civil Proceedings
 Privileges & Immunities Clause
 “The Congress shall have power to
make all laws which shall be
necessary and proper to secure to the
citizens of each state all privileges
and immunities of citizens in the
several states...”

35. (1789-1933)

36.  “Layer-Cake”
 National and state
governments have
separate influence

38. ROGERTANEY DRED SCOTT

39. (1933-1964)

40.  “Marble-Cake”
 National and state
government work
together for Americans

41. The shift from dual to cooperative federalism occurred
due to federal govt. expanding its rule over time.

42. (1964-1980)

43.  National government is responsible for policy
 What is the role of state and local governments?
 Sometimes called “picket-fence” federalism

46. Federalism in the White House

47. Signing the Civil Rights Act
Categorical grants helped fund
LBJ’s “War on Poverty”

48. (1980-2002)

49.  Increase in devolution to subnational units
(states)
 Categorical Grants
 Money given for specific purposes or categories
▪ Examples:Transportation, Health Care, Education,
Employment
 Reagan and Block Grants
 Money given for broad purposes
 Local areas decide how to spend money
 Reduced size and power of federal govt.

50. (2002-Present)

51.  Choosing national or subnational supremacy
President
Barack Obama
Governor
Mark Sanford