Federalism

Definition

Federalism is a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government.

Generally, an overarching national government is responsible for broader governance of larger territorial areas, while the smaller subdivisions, states, and cities govern the issues of local concern. Both the national government and the smaller political subdivisions have the power to make laws and both have a certain level of autonomy from each other. In the United States, the Constitution established a system of “dual sovereignty,” under which the States have surrendered many of their powers to the Federal Government, but also retained some sovereignty. Examples of this dual sovereignty are described in the U.S. Constitution.  Article VI of the U.S. Constitution contains the Supremacy Clause, which reads, "This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding." This effectively means that when the laws of the federal government are in conflict with the laws of a state's government, the federal law will supersede the state law. Federalism is also found in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution which describes specific powers which belong to the federal government. These powers are referred to as enumerated powers. Federalism is also found in the Tenth Amendment which reserves powers to the states, as long as those powers are not delegated to the federal government. Among other powers, this includes creating school systems, overseeing state courts, creating public safety systems, managing business and trade within the state, and managing local government. These powers are referred to as reserved powers. Finally, concurrent powers refer to powers that are shared by both the federal government and state governments. This includes the power to tax, build roads, and create lower courts.

Example

Questions

1. What does federalism mean in your own words?

2. Use federalism in a sentence: ("Federalism is a word," doesn't count!) that would make your family proud.

3. Think of an example of federalism in current events:

4. Find an emoji which illustrates the meaning of federalism:

5. Why did the Framers of the Constitution choose a federal system for the US?

6. Why do so many countries of large size (Brazil, Australia, Canada, US) use federal systems of government?

7. Imagine the U.S. reverted from a federal system to one where the national government contained all political power. What would be the best and the worst consequences of this change?

8. Is federalism good for the U.S.?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw federalism! Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

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Further Review

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