Federalism: Hugely Controversial, Highly Partisan, & Hotly Contested

Unit 3(ish) Federalism: Understanding American Politics- National, State and Local

TKO
1.) Define and state the significance of Federalism. 2.) Describe our founders intent behind the Federalist model of Government. 3.) Assess the advantages and disadvantages of a Federal system of Government. 4.) Describe how many American Governments there are. 5.) Discuss American viewpoints of the role of government. 6.) Define sovereignty. 7.) Identify and state the significance of the U.S. Constitutions supremacy clause. 8.) Compare and contrast enumerated v. unenumerated powers. 9.) Define concurrent powers and provide examples. 10.) Discuss how the commerce clause has caused tension between the national and state governments. 11.) Describe the influence the necessary and proper clause has had on American Federalism. 12.) Discuss the impact of the following court cases on federalism: McCulloch v. Maryland; U.S. v. Lopez; Printz v. United States; Gonzales v. Raich 13.) Identify and state the significance of devolution, and new federalism. 14.) Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of block grants v. categorical grants. Provide examples. 15.) Explain the use of federal mandates. How did the American with Disabilities Act exemplify a federal mandate? 16.) Explain reserved powers and how they are protected in the Constitution. 17.) Explain the argument of states rights and how it has been used throughout American history. Which political party makes this argument today?

Federalism: Hugely Controversial, Highly Partisan, & Hotly Contested Primary Pontifications All of us need to be reminded that the federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government. President Ronald Reagan The States can best govern our home concerns and the general government our foreign ones. I wish, therefore never to see all offices transferred to Washington, where, further withdrawn from the eyes of the people, they may more secretly be bought and sold at market. President Thomas Jefferson The operations of the federal government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the State governments, in times of peace and security. President James Madison I believe that part of our troubles are because back over the years, the leadership of the opposing party has step-by-step taken us away from the constitutional principle that we are a federation of sovereign States, and they have tried to reduce the States to administrative districts of an all-powerful Federal Government. And the Federal Government has tried to do things that the Federal Government is not able to do. President Ronald Reagan This balance between the National and State governments ought to be dwelt on with peculiar attention, as it is of the utmost importance. It forms a double security to the people. If one encroaches on their rights they will find a powerful protection in the other. Indeed, they will both be prevented from overpassing their constitutional limits by a certain rivalry, which will ever subsist between them. Alexander Hamilton Defining Federalism:________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Founders Ideas for Federalism:_______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ How Many Governments?________________________ (yikes) Federalism: Do the merits outweigh the demerits?

Merits (good)

Demerits (bad)

Federalism: Hugely Controversial, Highly Partisan, & Hotly Contested

Merits (good)

Demerits (bad)