FEDERALISMWednesday, September 15, 20106:30 PM   

      

Quick Study of Federalism – Part 1

Origins of a Federal Government

• Federal System-

• Confederation –

• Unitary system –

• Enumerated powers -

• Necessary and proper clause –

• Implied powers –

• Supremacy clause –

• Concurrent Powers –

• Bill of attainder –

• Ex post facto laws -

Relations Among the States• How does the Constitution detail how states relate to each

other? (Art. IV)• Full faith and credit• Privileges and immunities clause• Extradition clause• Interstate compacts

Interpreting the Constitution

Narrow Interpretation

• “Strict” interpretation• No implied powers

Broad Interpretation

• “Loose” interpretation• Implied powers

“The Congress shall have the power to Regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the severalStates, and with the Indian Tribes.” Article I, Sec. 8

Does “Commerce” mean only trade laws, or is it anythingdealing with commercial activity?

Dual v. Cooperative Federalism

Dual Federalism• “States Rights”

• Co-equal Sovereigns

Constitutional Interpretation• Reserve Clause• Broad Interpretation

• Necessary and Proper Clause• Narrow Interpretation

• Supremacy Clause• Narrow Interpretation

• Commerce Clause• Narrow Interpretation

Cooperative Federalism

• National is Supreme

Constitutional Interpretation• Reserve Clause• Narrow Interpretation

• Necessary and Proper Clause• Broad Interpretation

• Supremacy Clause• Broad Interpretation

• Commerce Clause• Broad Interpretation

From Layer Cake to Marble Cake….• “Wherever you slice through it,

you reveal an inseparable mixture of differently colored ingredients…Vertical and diagonal lines almost obliterate the horizontal ones, and in some places there are unexpected whirls and imperceptible merging of colors, so that it is difficult to tell where one ends the other begins.”

What does this mean? How does it relate to Federalism? Dual or Cooperative?

Quick Study of Federalism – Part 2

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

• Marshall Court: Cooperative Federalism• Background History:• Congress Creates national bank• States want to tax it

• USSC Ruling:• Can Congress create a national bank?• Yes: Necessary and Proper Clause

• Can States tax the bank?• No: “The power to tax is the power to destroy”• Supremacy Clause

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

• Marshall Court: Cooperative Federalism• History: NY granted Fulton exclusive right to

operate steamboats on Hudson River.• Const. Issue: Commerce Clause• USSC Ruling: • NY has no constitutional authority to grant monopoly.• Interstate commerce involves all commercial activity

between states.• Broad interpretation of Commerce Clause

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)• Taney Court: Dual federalism• History:• Dred Scott: slave

• Master Died; Sued for freedom (lived in a free territory)

• USSC Ruling:• Slave is private property; cannot sue• Limits National Power: Congress cannot forbid slavery in

territories.

Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918)• Laissez-Faire Courts:

Dual Federalism• History:• Federal Child Labor

Act• Limit interstate

shipment of goods if children work over 8 hours.

• Constitutional ?• Commerce Clause• 10th Amendment

• USSC Ruling: • Fed. Child Labor Act

Unconst.• Commerce Clause:

Does not regulate manufacturing.

• Commerce Clause: Narrow Interp.• 10th Am.: Broad Interp.

U.S. v. Darby Lumber (1941)• Post- New Deal Courts:

Cooperative Fed.• History:• Fair Labor Standards Act

• Min. Wage/44 hour work week

• Constitutional ?• Commerce Clause• Necessary and Proper

Clause

• USSC Ruling:• Nat’l Govt. Regulates

Interstate Commerce• Regulating wages and work

week is part of commerce.

• Commerce Cl: Loose• N & P Cl.: Loose

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

• Rehnquist Court: Dual Federalism

• History: Gun Free School Zone Act

• Const. Issue: Commerce Clause

• USSC: Did this “substantially affect interstate commerce?”

• Govt. argues “Cost of Crime” hurts “national productivity.”

• USSC disagrees.

• No link to interstate commerce.