Dual Federalism

1114 Words5 Pages

1. Chart the changes in federalism throughout American history. What was dual federalism? How was governmental power distributed under this system? How did the Great Depression lead to the decline in dual federalism? Federalism is a system in which the power is shared between the national and regional government, following democratic rules. a. Dual Federalism: The first period of federalism was from 1789 to 1937, called dual federalism. In this stage, there was equality between the national and state government, but the functions of each of them were fundamentally separated; they rarely operate together. The federal government dealt with the powers enumerated in the Constitution, foreign policy fostering commerce, and national defense. Instead, …show more content…

Cooperative Federalism: This period lasted from 1937 to 1960 and required cooperation between all levels of government, which is the motive for its name. After the New Deal, there was no separation between the federal and regional government anymore. In the opposite, they worked together to solve common issues. c. Regulated Federalism: This period lasted from 1960 to 1970, and its name is derived from the federal regulations over the state governments. It is characterized by a system of grants which the national government gave to the states to accomplish explicit purposes. In this stage, the federal government expanded its power and regulated state power. d. New Federalism: This period covers from 1970 until today. In this stage, the state government gained more power again. The federal government gives “block grants” to the states for general purposes, and state officials are allowed to determine how to spend those funds. 2. Describe at least three rights that are guaranteed to accused criminals in the Bill of Rights. List and explain important Supreme Court cases related to these …show more content…

This method of separation is known as “checks and balances” referring to the three branches of government the executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The legislative branch is supposed to be the stronger one. It consists of the Congress divided in two chambers: a House of Representatives and a Senate. The members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people and have the responsibility of encouraging popular consent and the Senate is elected by the state legislatures. The executive branch consists of the president, who has the power to receive international ambassadors, negotiate treaties with acceptance of the Senate, and appoint major personnel. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court, which has the right to solve any dispute between national and regional