Question of Sovereignty, A: Changing Expectations of the Federal Government
The national outlook towards government and what we expect from it has changed. Many areas once assumed to be the purview of state or local governments, like pollution control, now have federal and international dimensions. In tight budget situation...
Crisis of Authority: Nixon's Domestic Initiatives
The Nixon administration attempts to restore balance between the needs of the poor and desires of the middle class, between the power of the federal government and the interests of local communities. In the process, the welfare state expands more dr...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Supreme Court's Role in Federalism, The
When conflicts arise over federalism, it is usually up to the Supreme Court to determine which level of government is best authorized to act. Their position has fluctuated throughout history. The commerce clause, often used to justify greater federa...
Health of the Nation; Health of the Planet: Environmental Pollution--A Global Concern
Environmental protection, both within and without the borders of the United States, is a critical concern to this country. Carbon emissions that occur half a world away affect populations across the globe and contribute to global climate change. For...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Competition between Levels of Government
While the responsibilities of government have increased overall, states have retained most of their traditional authority. The fact that city and state politics generally has more to do with individual lives than the national government confirms for...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Contrast in Nixon's and Reagan's Approach to Federalism
Richard Nixon tried to "rationalize" the system by sorting out the functions of government at each level. He developed a program of general revenue sharing which gave federal grants without strings to state and local governments. Reagan viewed this ...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Cooperative Federalism Abandoned in Fight Against Segregation
Each new administration renegotiates the tightrope between national and state jurisdiction. Many of the important programs of the New Deal were intergovernmental in nature, what is often called cooperative federalism The federal government provided ...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Court Tightens Congressional Latitude in Use of the Commerce Clause
In recent years, the freedom Congress once had in using the commerce clause to justify federal action has again come under the Supreme Court's scrutiny. During the era of the Rehnquist Court, for example, the court overturned the Gun-Free School Zon...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Constitutional Basis of Federalism
Unlike many other decisions made at the Constitutional Convention, federalism was not based on established political theory. It was a solution to a problem. The national government formed under the Articles of Confederation was dependent on the stat...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Federalism: Shifting Winds
Federalism is not a fixed principle. It changes as the country's political needs change. During times of national crisis the balance of power tends to shift toward the nation's capital as we saw in the aftermath of 9/11. But it didn't take long for ...