1 / 13

Evolution of Federalism in the United States: From Civil War to Reagan Revolution

Explore the key concepts of federalism, including the division of powers between federal and state governments, areas of exclusive federal and state responsibilities, and the advantages and disadvantages of a decentralized federal system. Dive into landmark cases and historical events shaping the evolution of federalism in the U.S.

iinnes
Download Presentation

Evolution of Federalism in the United States: From Civil War to Reagan Revolution

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Lecture 4: Federalism

  2. Concept of Federalism • Federal vs Unitary Concurrent powers Fed State

  3. Division of powers • What areas are exclusively federal responsibilities? • coin money, wage war, regulate immigration and citizenship • What areas are exclusively or mostly state responsibilities? • establish local governments, ratify constitutional amendments, education • What areas are concurrent? • Tax, borrow money, set up courts

  4. Advantages of a decentralized federal system? • Better reflects local or regional differences • example: minimum wage • allows for experimentation • example: Oregon’s assisted suicide?

  5. Disadvantages of federalism • can inhibit trade and mobility • example: state tuition • can promote a race to the bottom • example: lower state taxes, lax environmental laws

  6. Gibbons v Ogden (1824) • Facts of the case • Result: Ct. interpreted “interstate commerce” broadly, giving greater power to Congress and the federal government.

  7. Civil War • Are states sovereign--with the right to join and leave the union as they please? • Article I, section 10--”no confederacies” • “We the People”, not “we the states” • Outcome of the War: • No!

  8. Post Civil War Era • Growth of big business and national economy • necessary action by fed govt: • starting with regulating railroads, and monopolies

  9. Great Depression and New Deal (1929-41) • Works Project Administration • Social Security • and much more--eventually with USSC approval • Wickard v Filburn (1942) • digression--Raich v Gonzalez (2005)

  10. Civil Rights and Integration (1954-74) • Federal laws and federal troops integrating schools and public accommodations • Heart of Atlanta Motel v United States (1964)

  11. Great Society (1963-69) • War On Poverty • Medicare • Medicaid

  12. Reagan “revolution” and devolution • Less “strings” on reduced federal funding for state programs--from categorical to block grants • Example of “Welfare” reform in 1990s • Conservative Supreme Ct reducing federal controls over states • Examples: • US v Lopez (1995) • US v Morrison (2000) • but more mixed in Raich v Gonzalez (2005)

More Related