Federalism Federalism  power is divided between one central In the US  –Each level has certain powers of its own, independent from the other Federalism was passed to settle dispute over who should have

Federalism & the Constitution The Federal Government has expressed powers specifically granted in the Constitution (tax, regulate commerce, declare war, etc.) The Federal Government has implied powers from the necessary & proper clause or “elastic clause” (ex: create a national bank) The 10th Amendment reserves powers to the states (ex: education, law enforcement, etc.) The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land (National Supremacy Clause)

Dual Federalism ( )  Definition  Federal and state governments  Narrow interpretation  Federal government only has jurisdiction if clear expressed in the Constitution (ex: coin money, foreign affairs)  State have greater role and

Criticisms of Dual Federalism Positive: –It does reflect the formal distribution Criticisms: –Not realistically describing the way the federal –Did not take into account complex changes brought

Cooperative Federalism (1933-present)  Definition  National government clearly supreme over the states with wide interpretation of the “necessary and proper clause” (Article I, Sect. 8 of the Constitution, also known as the “elastic clause.”)  Federal government intervenes or assists in some areas  Began with the New Deal in the 1930s

Effects of Federalism  State Politics Places the states in States want to maximize the benefits they can get from the national government and make “smokestack chasing”  states bid against one another to get industries to locate within

Effects on Citizens Citizens have access to officials Enhances power of interest groups: –Organized groups of citizens who share political, social, or other

Increased Flexibility Benefits: –Preserve local standards and –Experimentation with Drawbacks: –Making and enforcing laws can be troublesome –Different penalties for the same crime can make it difficult to