Federalism Definition: System where power is divided between a national government and state governments – MT 1, LT 2

Constitutional Division of Powers Expressed Powers – certain powers are enumerated or delegated to the national government Concurrent Powers – some powers are shared by both the states and federal government Reserved Powers – All other powers are reserved for the individual states

State Powers Full Faith and Credit Clause – states must recognize, honor, and enforce another states actions Privileges and Immunities Clause – states cannot discriminate against residents of other states or give its own residents special privileges Tenth Amendment – powers not specifically delegated to the national government are reserved for the states

Benefits Prevents abuses of power by the central government Allows states to experiment with new ideas and solutions Allows flexibility – states can pass laws that reflect the needs of their citizens Encourages more political participation

Drawbacks Lack of consistency of laws and policies from state to state Sometimes creates conflict between state and federal officials

Types of Federalism

Dual Federalism Also called “Layer Cake” Federalism From 1790 – 1933 Fairly strict division of powers Two levels of government had clearly defined responsibilities Example: federal government controls interstate commerce, state governments control intrastate commerce

Cooperative Federalism Also called “Marble Cake” Federalism The Great Depression of the 1930s created the need for greater involvement by the federal government and closer cooperation between the states and national government National and state governments share some responsibilities Grants-in-Aid Programs – funds given by the federal government to states for specific programs New Deal Programs (FDR)

Regulated Federalism Began with Johnson’s Great Society programs of the 1960s Grants-in-Aid now came with strict regulations as to how the money could be spent Also led to unfunded mandates – programs and regulations imposed on state and local governments by Congress without adequate funding States began to resent too much federal control

New Federalism 1970s and 1980s saw the beginnings of devolution – returning more power and control to the states 1990s – Congress ended unfunded mandates and turned control of welfare programs to state governments Block Grants – funds given by the federal government to the states that left states free to decide how best to spend the money