How federalism has changed
The balance between national and state power has shifted many times since 1789.
Dual federalism
For much of the nineteenth century, dual federalism treated national and state governments as separate layers, each sovereign in its own sphere, like a layer cake. The Civil War settled that states could not leave the Union and expanded national authority, especially through the 14th Amendment's guarantees.
Cooperative federalism
During the New Deal of the 1930s, the national government took on a much larger role, working with states on programmes like unemployment insurance. Cooperative federalism is often compared to a marble cake, with responsibilities blended. Grants of money from Washington became a main tool for influencing state policy.
New federalism and today
From the 1970s onward, presidents and courts promoted 'new federalism', returning some authority to the states, often through block grants with fewer strings attached. Today federalism is contested on issues like healthcare, marijuana laws, and immigration, where states sometimes act very differently from one another and from Washington.
Flashcard
Separate, distinct spheres of national and state power
Check your understanding
Which image is used to describe cooperative federalism?