2: The American Federal System
- Page ID
- 129120
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\dsum}{\displaystyle\sum\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dint}{\displaystyle\int\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dlim}{\displaystyle\lim\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)
\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)
\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\(\newcommand{\longvect}{\overrightarrow}\)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)After you have read this chapter, you should be able to:
- Explain the purpose of a constitution.
- Describe how the constitution structures power
- Compare federal systems with other types that could exist, including confederal and unitary systems.
- Explain the division of powers and the tension points between the states and the federal government in a federal system.
- Trace how the relationship between the national and state governments have changed over time.
The arrival of the COVID-19 virus in the United States in early 2020 did not just impact the national government. It impacted each of the states, cities, counties, and school districts around the nation, if not—in some fashion—every single one of the more than 90,000 local governments spread around the nation. As the virus spread, each of these governments was tasked with formulating a response suited to its jurisdiction, but also in sync with the responses of the governments that adjoined it, as well as those that overlapped it.
Schools had to determine how best to continue to provide education to their students in a manner that would stop the spread of the virus, many went fully online, as you may know. Counties and cities had to do the same regarding the services they provided. Counties had the added task of ensuring adequate access to hospital care not only to victims of the virus, but to all others as well. Cities, counties and the state had to make decisions about whether businesses and other public gatherings should be limited, or shut down completely. Often the decisions made by one conflicted with the decisions made by others. And the national government was tasked with formulating and implementing a response to the virus itself, encouraging the rapid development of a vaccine, and an equally rapid distribution of it. The elected officials in all of these governing units had to do so under the watchful and critical eyes of the mass public, with the knowledge that any missteps they made could lead to defeat in their next election.
Sound confusing? It should, because it is. But such is life in a federal system where responsibility for governance is allocated to institutions on the national, state, and local levels (Figure 2.1). And where those responsibilities vary depending upon which are more suited to need of the nation, state, or locality. However, the more you learn about the specific nature of these relationships, the more they are a bit easier to understand. The purpose of this chapter is to help you make sense of this confusion, because just as pandemics happen, so do a multitude of other unforeseen issues that dominate the news in the near and not so near future.
- 2.1: Constitutional Roots of Federalism
- This page outlines the evolution of Anglo-American constitutions, starting with the Magna Carta of 1215, which curtailed royal power and set the stage for individual rights. This legacy influenced the U.S. Constitution, designed to limit government authority via principles such as popular sovereignty, separation of powers, and checks and balances. The Bill of Rights safeguards personal freedoms, while the amendment process demands significant state approval, reinforcing popular sovereignty.
- 2.2: What Is Federalism?
- This page discusses U.S. federalism, detailing the division of government powers among national, state, and local levels. The national government manages interstate commerce and security under the Constitution, while states oversee local health and safety. The Supremacy Clause affirms federal law's precedence in conflicts, and the Tenth Amendment reserves unmentioned powers to states.
- 2.3: The Role of the States in the American Federal System
- This page outlines the U.S. Constitution's allocation of election responsibilities to states, emphasizing voter registration, election conduct, and the impact of gerrymandering on representation. It notes key amendments, particularly the Fifteenth Amendment addressing voting discrimination.
- 2.4: Expanded Federal Government- The Stages of Federalism
- This page outlines the evolution of federalism in the U.S. across three eras: dual federalism (separate state and national powers), cooperative federalism (increased federal intervention during the Great Depression), and New Federalism (devolution of power under Reagan). Key legislative advancements, court cases, and civil rights movements illustrate this progression, showing shifts toward federal authority despite efforts for state autonomy.
- 2.5: Recent Federalism Cases involving Texas
- This page discusses Texas's resistance to federal government actions, especially under Democratic presidents Obama and Biden. Under Obama, Texas, led by Attorneys General Abbott and Paxton, initiated legal challenges against the Affordable Care Act and same-sex benefits. With Biden's presidency, further tensions are anticipated, particularly regarding COVID-19 mandates, border policies, and infrastructure initiatives.
- 2.6: Conclusion
- This page discusses the U.S. Constitution's establishment of a federal system involving national, state, and local governments, with Texas playing a notable role. Texas's compliance with constitutional mandates while maintaining autonomy reflects its influence through key political figures like John Nance Garner and Lyndon Johnson.