Impacts on Federalism 2
When discussing federalism in the United States, it serves as a bedrock of the American political
system by demonstrating the balance between centralized authority and state rights. Enshrined in
the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, federalism lists the powers between the national
government and individual states, clearing the way for a dual system of governance where states
retain a majority of their policymaking authority in areas like education, law enforcement, and
public health. This division of powers not only reflects the framers' intent to prevent tyranny but
also helps establish local responsiveness to the unique regional needs of the areas. California for
example is different and requires different laws than a state of the east coast such as Florida.
Throughout history, federalism has certainly changed, shaped by judicial decisions, legislative
actions, and the policies of previous presidents. Each presidency leaves a unique interpretation
on this constitutional framework, influencing the dynamic of federal and state relations and
testing the workings of our American governance. This dynamic helps us to discern an analysis
of how the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have impacted federalism.
Each administration has navigated this federal and state relationship differently, leaving
behind policy legacies that have shaped the distribution of power and responsibilities within the
system. By detailing key policy initiatives, executive actions, and their implications for
federalism, we can evaluate which presidency had the most significant impact on the balance of
power between the federal government and the states. Through scholarly debate and historical
context, this power sharing power can look to help determine the enduring consequences of these
presidential terms on federalism, drawing conclusions about their relative influence and
importance in shaping the future of American governance.
United States federalism is outlined as the constitutional principle that divides
governmental authority between the federal government and the states. This division of power is
Impacts on Federalism 3
demonstrated clearly in the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,"” (10th amendment,
1791) reserving certain powers to the states unless explicitly given to the federal government or
prohibited to the states. The basic ideas of federalism focus on a dual system of governance
where both federal and state governments possess distinct authority from each other. Federalism
allows states to legislate and govern themselves independently on matters such as education,
public safety other and local economic policies, whereas the federal government deals with the
issues pertaining to national concerns such defense, foreign policy, interstate and currency.
The beauty of federalism in our political system lies in its ability to strike a delicate
balance between national unity and local rights. Through decentralizing authority, federalism
enables states to serve as innovation and trials for larger concerns in policymaking, using that
information to change laws and regulations that meet the specific needs of their populations. This
flexibility not only helps to foster unique changes in governance but also encourages civic
engagement through participation at the state and local levels. Federalism also helps to serve as a
check on the concentration of power, which can prevent any single governmental entity from
gaining too much power, ensuring that decisions reflect the interests and values of the American
people. The interchange between presidential administration is still not without it’s flaws and
unique issues that a rise from this system. Balancing between presidents with different views
from the previous is always challenging, particularly in recent times bouncing from Obama to
Trump to Biden. A clear drastic change on how each president ran the executive branch.
Going back to the Obama administration, we saw federalism in the United States have
significant impacts through policies and initiatives focusing on addressing the national issues of
the time while working with state governments in implementation. One of the largest policy
changes was the Affordable Care Act which expanded healthcare coverage through federal
Impacts on Federalism 4
subsidies and other mandates. The Affordable Care Act utilized federalism in the way in which
the federal government set the goals but allowed states flexibility in how they were implemented.
The idea of this large change was to achieve universal healthcare coverage while working with
the states to meet specific needs. Additionally, President Obama implemented some education
reform, dubbing it the Race to the Top initiative, which incentivized states to adopt certain
educational standards in exchange for federal funding, influencing state-level policies and
practices. (Peters et al, 2010) These policies reflected his administration's desire and focus to
strike a balance between federal mandates and states rights in order to help work together
however, also generating conflicts over this issue of states' rights versus federal authority and
where the line is on some of these mandates. The Supreme Court has taken up this issue multiple
times in order to deal with balance according to the White House in an official statement. (Biden,
2021) The perspectives on President Obama’s presidency are certainly one that is debated among
students, scholars, and the media. The critics draw their argument towards centralization of
power in federal agencies through the use of executive actions, which has the potential in
damaging states sovereignty and lead to policy controls that doesn't accommodate regional
differences fairly.
The next administration with a Trump presidency certainly created a contrasting
approach to federalism characterized by his desire for deregulation and a shift towards states
rights. Major federalism focused actions of his largely included executive orders aimed at rolling
back the Obama administrations regulations on topics like environmental protections and the
healthcare mandates. These actions provided states with greater discretion in policy
implementation, reflecting President Trump’s belief in reducing federal intervention by
promoting regulatory flexibility at the state level. Another large aspect of his administration were
Impacts on Federalism 5
the Supreme Court appointments during his tenure which has also influenced federalism, such as
in decisions in state authority for immigration enforcement and healthcare policy since those
were positions, he ran on fixing. This shift in federal and state relations under his administration
highlighted a change from cooperative federalism towards a more decentralized approach. States
were issued waivers and exemptions to design alternative Medicaid programs around the
affordable care act’s mandates and other policies suited to local conditions. However, the
tensions around federal mandates rolled back around at the end of his term with the pandemic of
COVID-19 affecting the markets and people around the world. The argument of different state
mandates and regulations would make it difficult to accurately report this disaster and effective
slow down production on vaccines, treatments, etc.
In researching Trump's federalism approach to recognizing their efforts to empower
states and reduce federal bureaucracy, is tended to view positively as an enhancement to state
sovereignty and policy creation. The critics, however, allocate that reducing federal oversight
may lead to more issues in healthcare access and environmental protections among states due to
the states not being at the same playing field, exacerbating inequities. Trump's presidency shows
the ongoing discussions over the appropriate balance between federal authority and states' rights
which reflected the future direction of federalism in a politically divided landscape. These
contrasting approaches to federalism between the Obama and Trump administrations
demonstrate the fundamental debate over the role of the federal government dealing with states
rights and how that dynamic has been shaping policy outcomes within the United States.
Lastly, dealing with the Biden administration, we have seen a shift away from President
Trump’s approach and leaning back into several key policies and decisions that are shaping
federalism in the United States back towards President Obama’s approach. Early in his term,
Impacts on Federalism 6
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act which was a large federal aid package that
was designed on alleviating economic strains caused by the pandemic. This legislative effort
shows his commitment to cooperative federalism, where federal resources are leveraged to
support state and local governments in crisis response and economic recovery. Also, his
administration has swiftly begun to reverse several Trump-era policies, particularly in
environmental regulation and at the southern border such as letting title 42 expire. () He rejoined
the Paris Agreement and attempted to strengthen the weakened Affordable Care Act, reasserting
federal authority in areas where Trump's administration had delegated those powers back to
states. This shift shows a recalibration towards a more centralized federalism approach that his
previous administration under President Obama wanted to see get through.
In responding to previous federalism frameworks, the Biden administration seeks to
balance federal oversight with state flexibility. This contrasts with the Trump administration's
emphasis on reducing federal mandates and empowering states more. This approach shares
similarities with the Obama’s administration to share a cooperative federalism strategy, putting
collaboration with states through funding incentives and other agreements. However, Biden's
federalism impact also charts new ideas by setting new ambitious national goals in climate policy
indicative of a federalistic approach that navigates between national importance and state
autonomy. As policymakers and other interested parties assess Biden's federalism legacy, which
is still ongoing, debates arise over the appropriate division of authority between federal and state
governments.
Looking through the comparative analysis of federalism that was impacted during the
Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations reveal different approaches that have shaped the
dynamics of governance in the United States. Each administration left an imprint on federalism
Impacts on Federalism 7
through their own policy initiatives, executive actions, and changes in the federal and state
relations. In assessing which presidency made the greatest impact on federalism, Biden's
administration seems to emerge as the biggest in terms of impact due to its efforts to navigate
federal-state relations with the vastly evolving national priorities and social changes. The Biden
presidency's early actions in around climate policy and economic recovery show a significant
shift towards federal re-engagement and centralized leadership. This contrasts with the
deregulatory stance of the Trump administration and the cooperative yet at times contentious
federalism of Obama's administration.
Future implications of federalism tend to suggest ongoing debates and policy shifts
regarding the division of authority between federal and state governments. President Biden and
Trump’s approaches may set precedents for addressing national crises through federal initiatives
while addressing state-level variations in policy implementation. The questions, however, remain
around the balance between national authority and state autonomy in some of the larger policies
areas that affect both the national and state landscape which will shape the discussion of the
United States federalism for years to come. In conclusion, while each presidency leaves its own
mark on the concept of federalism, the Biden administration's proactive federalism approach
stands out to me for its efforts to engage in national priorities while attempting to give states the
autonomy they desire, setting a potentially transformative course for this relationship moving
forward as a country.
Impacts on Federalism 8
Reference
Birkland, T. A., Taylor, K., Crow, D. A., & DeLeo, R. (2021). Governing in a polarized era:
Federalism and the response of U.S. state and federal governments to the COVID-19
pandemic. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 51(4), 650-672.
https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjab024
Colby, N. J. (2021, October). Trump, Donald. In Encyclopedia of Federalism. Retrieved July 1,
2024, from https://encyclopedia.federalism.org/index.php?title=Trump,_Donald
Collins, S. R., & Lambrew, J. M. (2019, July 29). Federalism and the Affordable Care Act:
Health reform and the 2020 election. The Commonwealth Fund.
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2019/jul/
federalism- affordable-care-act-health-reform-2020-election
Impacts on Federalism 9
Jacobs, N. (2021). Federalism, polarization, and policy responsibility during COVID-19:
Experimental and observational evidence from the United States. Publius: The
Journal of Federalism, 51(4), 693-719. https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjab014
Konisky, D. M., & Woods, N. D. (2016). Environmental Policy, Federalism, and the Obama
Presidency. Publius, 46(3), 366–391. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24734713
Peters, G., & Woolley, J. T. (2010, January 19). The American Presidency Project.
Retrieved from https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fact-sheet-the-race-the-top
President Joe Biden. (2021, June 17). Statement by President Joe Biden on the U.S. Supreme
Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act. The White House. Retrieved July 1,
2024, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-
releases/2021/06/17/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-the-u-s-supreme-court-
decision-upholding-the-affordable-care-act/
10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. (1791). Retrieved from
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript
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