Examine/Analyse the Differences Between Devolution and Federalism

Paragraph Focus

• Para 1 = Constitution

• Para 2 = Distribution of Power

• Para 3 = Laws

Para 1 - Federalism

• federlisms in the US is established in the constitution through the 20th Amendment, which reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states

• this ensures that federalism and the powers of states are protected and legally binding

• therefore, preventing the federal government from overstepping powers

• eg. when Roe v Wade was overturned, the power of legalising abortions returned back to the states

Para 1 - Devolution

• devolution by contrast isn’t permanently in the constitution

• power was granted to the devolved parliaments by the UK parliament in the acts including Scotland Act 1998

• due to parliamentary sovereignty and the unentrenched constitution in the UK, these powers could be reclaimed by a simple act of parliament

Para 2 - Federalism

• in the US, the constitution guarantees that every state has equal authority in areas such as education, law neforcement and lcoal taxation

Para 2 - Devolution

Comparative Theory

this can be explained by the cultural theory

Para 3 - Federalism

Para 3 - Devolution