chapter 3 intor p

Three levels of government

The United States has national/federal, state, and local governments, with each level performing different functions.

National or federal government

Handles matters concerning the entire country, including national defense, interstate and foreign commerce, and regulation of the national economy.

State government

Handles matters within state borders and protects residents’ welfare. It collects taxes, oversees welfare programs, controls the criminal code, and maintains public utilities.

Local government

Governs specific geographic areas within a state, such as counties, cities, municipalities, and towns.

Responsibilities of local government

Managing public services such as parks, libraries, schools, police departments, and fire departments.

Policy innovation

A benefit of federalism that allows states to test new social and economic policies without risking harm to the entire country.

States as policy laboratories

States can experiment with new policies, such as marijuana legalization, before those policies are adopted more widely.

Increased political participation

Federalism allows citizens to petition either the state or federal government and pursue change at more than one level.

Accommodating diversity of opinions

Federalism allows state and local governments to create policies based on their citizens’ particular needs and interests.

Examples of policy diversity among states

States may handle abortion, alcohol distribution, gun control, and social welfare benefits differently.

Economic disparities across states

A drawback of federalism in which states use different standards for services and benefits, creating unequal outcomes across the country.

Race-to-the-bottom dynamics

When states offer tax breaks or reduce regulations to attract businesses, sometimes at the expense of public programs or protections.

Difficulty acting on issues of national importance

Federalism’s system of divided authority can delay, weaken, or block national responses to major issues.

Evolution of American federalism

The way the relationship and division of power between the national and state governments have changed over time.

Dual federalism

A system in which the state and national governments exercise authority separately within clearly defined areas of responsibility.

Events associated with dual federalism

McCulloch v. Maryland, Gibbons v. Ogden, Dred Scott v. Sandford, and the Civil War.

Cooperative federalism

A system in which the national and state governments coordinate their actions to solve national problems.

Grants and mandates

Tools used by the federal government to influence state policies and encourage cooperation between the two levels.

Cooperative federalism during the 1930s

The national and state governments worked together to administer President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal programs.

Cooperative federalism during the 1960s

The national and state governments cooperated to carry out War on Poverty programs

New federalism

An approach that returns power and responsibility from the national government to state governments.

Decentralization

Moving policies and decision-making authority away from the national government and closer to state or local governments.

Goals of the new federalism

To improve administrative efficiency, reduce overall public spending, and improve policy outcomes.

Devolution

The transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government back to the states, especially during the Nixon and Reagan administrations.

Decentralization in federalism

Allows states to have different taxation levels, welfare eligibility requirements, and voting regulations.

Centralization

Concentrating authority in the national government to create uniform policies and influence state actions.

Examples of centralization

The national government issues one national currency, challenges state laws, and uses grants and mandates to shape state actions

Characteristics of a federal system

Two levels of government, a written national constitution, separation of powers, and national courts.

Two levels of government in a federal system

The national government handles matters affecting the entire country, while state governments handle matters within their regions.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A Supreme Court case that interpreted and supported Congress’s use of the Necessary and Proper Clause and implied powers.

Tenth Amendment

The amendment that affirms the reserved powers of the states.

Unitary system

A system in which the national or central government holds the ultimate authority.

Confederal system

: A system in which independent states hold most of the power and give limited powers to a national government.

Federal system

A system in which the national and state governments share power and sovereignty, with authority divided by the Constitution.