Eugene Kim AP GOV chap 3: Federalism

1. Federalism is the political system in which there are local (territorial, regional, provincial, state or municipal) units of government as well a national government, that can make final decisions with respect to at least some governmental activities and whose existence is specially protected. In a federal system power is divided between central and state or local governments; however in a unitary system the powers are centralized.

2. Negative Aspects: - upset national plans -allowing states to block actions -cater to the self interest of hack politicians. -prevent progress -protect powerful local interests Positive Aspects: -Virtue of the federal system lies in its ability to develop and maintain mechanisms vital to the perpetuation of the unique combination of governmental strength, political flexibility, and individual liberty. -Every citizen can take on responsibility of controlling the government stops the government from becoming too powerful. 3. The constitution restricts the power to make treaties with foreign nations, coin money, issue paper currency, grant titles of nobility, pass a bill of attainder or an ex post facto law, or without consent of congress, levy any taxes on imports or exports, keep troops and ships in time of peace, or enter into an agreement with another state or with a foreign power. The constitution also protects against an existing state will not be broken

up into two or more states or merged with all or part of another state without that states consent. Congress may admit new states into the union, and the constitution may not be amended to give states unequal representation in the senate. Furthermore, the Full faith and credit shall be given by each state to the laws, records, and court decision of other states. The citizen of each state shall have the privileges and immunities of the citizens of every other state, and if a person is charged with a crime by one state flees to another, he or she will be subjected to extradition. 4. The principle of nullification is that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the states opinion, violates the constitution. 5. Initiative Allowed citizens to introduce a bill into the legislature and required members to take a vote on it. Recall Gave citizens the chance to remove an elected official from office before the persons term ends. Referendum Established a procedure by which voters cast their ballots for or against proposed laws. 6. The GOP in Congress embraced the idea of devolution because the GOP favors small federal government, and devolution supports small federal government over large federal government. 7. It was possible to enact devolution for AFDC but not for Medicaid, because they put the devolution for Medicaid and other important health care programs squarely on the national political agenda. They didnt want to make major cuts in entitlement spending, and one of their bills would have reduced Medicaid spending by 163 billion dollars, while other various welfare programs would be cut by 175 billion dollars. The reason AFDC was enacted to devolution was because it was opposed to cut by thirty five percent, while Medicaid was opposed to cut by seventy three percent. 8. One reason was because members of congress represent different constituencies from the same localities. Another reason was because organizations that once linked members of congress to local groups have eroded. Congress also now operates as a free agent, and theyre now creating a new grant program. Those states are now trying to experiment with new ways of meeting their needs, and some say that devolution has gone too far. Finally, Americans differ in the extent to which we like federalism as

opposed to local decisions; and not to exclude social diversity which represents not only the states and local leaders, but also the members of congress.