Introduction to Introduction to FederalismFederalism

Take notes in order to….

• Build vocabulary for upcoming chapter 3 quiz (and beyond)

• Answer the following guiding question: Would the founders approve of how our federal system is working today?

What is Federalism• Federalism: Two or more governments

exercise power and authority over the same people in the same territory

• Intergovernmental Relations: the workings of the federal system- the entire set of interactions among national, state and local governments

Unitary System – all power flows from one central government

Powerful British Government

Political Subunits (Colonies)

Colonies Under British Control

UNITARY SYSTEM • Central govt – primary

authority, regulates activities of the states

• State govt – little or no powers, duties regulated by central govt

• Citizens – vote for central officials

Articles of Confederation 1781-1789

Confederal System – power concentrated in political subunits with a weak central government

(typically unite for a specific common goal)

CONFEDERAL SYSTEM• Central govt – limited

powers to coordinate state activities

• State govt – sovereign, allocate some duties to central govt

• Citizens – vote for state govt officials

Is there a balance between the extremes?

Centralized Decentralized

Unitary is too much like Britain’s system.

Confederal is too weak.

Even those who like a unitary

system know it would never pass

The First Federal System

• Federal System – a blend of Unitary and Confederal systems.

FEDERAL • Central govt – shares

power with states• State govts – shares

power with central govt

• Citizens – vote for both state and central govt officials

Bi-directional arrow shows that the subdivisions are not

left powerless.

FederalismFederalism

How the circle and the squares get along

What is Federalism• Federalism: Two or more governments

exercise power and authority over the same people in the same territory– Constitutional division of power

between the national government (circle) and state government (square).

– Both get their powers from the Constitution, not each other.

Defining Federalism• Why is Federalism So Important?

– Decentralizes our politics– Decentralizes our policies

The Constitutional Basis of Federalism

• Supremacy Clause • 10th Amendment – Reserved Powers• Establishing National Supremacy

– Implied Powers– Commerce Powers

• State’s Obligations to Each Other– Full Faith and Credit– Privileges and Immunities

PowersFederal Government• Coin money• Regulate the economy

and foreign and interstate commerce

• Declare war• Manage national military• Direct foreign relations• Establish Post Offices

States (RESERVED) • Issue Licences• Create local level of govt• Regulate intrastate

commerce• Hold elections• Ratify amendments• Conduct social

policymaking• Establish local

governments

Concurrent Powers• Granted to Congress but not denied by

courts– Held by both state and federal gov’ts– How many can you name????

• Questions of fed/state authority decided by courts

Shared (Concurrent) Powers

• Make and enforce laws• Collect taxes• Maintain courts• Allocate money for public needs• Build roads• Law enforcement• Charter banks and corporations

Evolution of federalism• Over time, system has moved from Dual

(layer cake) Federalism to Cooperative (marble cake) Federalism.

Vocab to Know• Dual Federalism

– Layer Cake Federalism• Cooperative Federalism

Figure 3.2

Intergovernmental Relations Today

• Fiscal Federalism

Intergovernmental Relations Today

Intergovernmental Relations Today

• Fiscal Federalism continued– The Grant System: Distributing the Federal

Pie– Categorical– Block– Mandates