Question

What is Federalism? Explain each of the different theories/forms of Federalism. Which one, in your opinion, best describes the current Federal system in the United States and why?

Answer 1

• Federalism is a type of government in which the power is divided between the national government and other governmental units. It contrasts with a unitary government, in which a central authority holds the power, and a confederation, in which states, for example, are clearly dominant.
• Dual federalism looks at the federal system as a sort of "layer cake," with each layer of government performing the tasks that make the most sense for that level.Because this theory leaves each government supreme within its own sphere of operations, it is also sometimes called dual sovereignty.
  
• Creative Federalism was the type of federalism that shifted more power towards the national government by bypassing state governments and allowing the federal government to have direct control over statewide programs. This form of federalism is also know as "picket-fence federalism", and was most prevalent during the terms of Lyndon Johnson and his Great Society.
• The national government began to interfere more in welfare programs in an effort to make a stride towards a better nation, and alleviate some of the problems the nation was faced with at the time. In this era, the state government was generally overlooked as the national government decreed what was to be done in the states, directly affecting the local governments and the citizens of the state. The power of the states weakened during this type of federalism. Grants were used as a way to coerce the state governments into complying with the national government's wishes.
• The theory of cooperative federalism emerged during the New Deal, when the power of the federal government grew in response to the Great Depression. It does not recognize a clear distinction between the functions of the states and Washington, and it emphasizes that there are many areas in which their responsibilities overlap.
• For example, drug enforcement involves federal agents, state troopers, and local police. The federal government supplies funds for education, but the state and local school boards choose curriculum and set qualifications for teachers. The notion of overlapping jurisdictions is expressed by the term marble-cake federalism.
• Cooperative federalism takes a very loose view of the elastic clause that allows power to flow through federal government. It is a more accurate model of how the federal system has worked over much of U.S. history.
• Although the American system of government is predominantly characterized by cooperative federalism, elements of national supremacy, dual federalism, and states’ rights are still prevalent. The current period could therefore be considered the “era of balanced federalism.”