What is Federalism?
Federalism is a political system where two or more governments have authority over the
same geographical area. The preamble of the US Constitution defines the responsibilities and
jurisdiction of the states and federal government to form a more perfect Union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, and secure the blessing of liberty.
The three branches of the government, Executive, Judicial, and Legislative, were formed
due to the constitution. The Executive branch creates laws and is composed of the President, VP,
cabinet, and other federal agencies. The Judicial branch evaluates the laws and interprets the
constitution, composed of the Supreme Court and other circuit courts. The constitution outlines
the power each branch has and prohibits overstepping of that power.
The Constitution grants these powers to the federal government: delegated, concurrent,
and reserved. Delegated powers include the power to wage and declare war, coin and currency,
commerce, and establish a post office. Concurrent powers include taxes, lower courts, and roads.
Reserved powers are the powers that are not specific to the government, but not given to anyone,
and are not restricted from use.
The implied powers within the constitution are powers that are assumed due to previous
powers assigned to governments, such as the right to bear arms. These powers can be interpreted
as power grabs by the government or overreaching, which can lead to challenges to authority. It
is important to understand that both governments are structured almost identically, so different
solutions can be found in the same area, creating a new solution or creating more trouble.
References
Shafritz, J. M., Russell, E. W., Borick, C. P., & Hyde, A. C. (2016). Introducing Public
Administration (9th Edition). Taylor & Francis.
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781317213925
Graglia, L. A. (2018, July 5). Implied Powers of the U.S. Constitution.
http://encyclopedia.federalism.org/index.php/Implied_Powers_of_the_U.S._Constitution
