Federalism WE THE STUDENTS
Federalism What is Federalism? Power is constitutionally divided between a central government and regional governments (states) Any power Constitution does not give to federal gov’t is reserved to the states Constitution says nothing about local governments
Why Federalism? Hamilton: 1. Prevent Tyranny of government by dividing power between nation and state 2. More opportunities for citizen participation 3. Allows states to experiment with their own laws
Why Federalism? Also, only choice framers had States were not going to give up all of their power to a central government States were very different and had different economies Is and was a big country Needed different governments
Federalism: National, State, and Concurrent Powers
How did the National Government Grow? Different roles clearly spelled out in Constitution 10th amendment reserves most power to the states The Civil War was essentially fought over the relative power of State and Federal governments Note the federal power in 13 th, 14 th, 15 th amendments This remains a contentious topic
How does your Government Grow? Constitution is vague: both “expressed”, “implied” and “inherent” powers Expressed – clearly stated Implied – not stated, not crucial but considered “necessary and proper” Inherent – not stated, but considered crucial for the government to function (ex: international relations, immigration, etc.)