The Four Levels Of Federalism

The Farmers believed that government power must be divided and limited so that it cannot threaten individual liberty. The Constitution divides power between the federal government and the States through federalism. Federalism creates 2 basic levels of government that overlap. Each level has some powers denied to the other level. Federalism allows local governments to handle local concerns while the national government deals with national issues. This gives each of the States some flexibility when dealing with challenges. Successful State programs, such as welfare reform, can influence national policies as well as policies in other States. Federalism also lets the nation respond in a united way to serious crises like war or natural disasters.

Some powers are specifically denied, such as the power to prohibit freedom of religion, speech, press, or assembly. Other powers, like creating a national school system, are denied because the can’t be based on expressed powers. Finally, the nation government can’t have powers that would undermine the existence of the federal system. Expressed powers are those specifically named in the Constitution. They are sometimes called delegated powers or enumerated powers. The congressional powers specified in the Constitution in Article I include the power to coin money, raise armed forces, and levy taxes. Other expressed powers are granted to the Presidents in Article II and the Supreme Court in Article III. The 10th Amendment reserves to the States all powers not given to the federal government or denied to the States. These powers include the police power, which lets a State protect and promote public health, morals, safety, and general welfare. State and local governments use the huge scope of the reserved powers to perform many of their daily actions. Issuing driver’s licenses is a power reserved to the States. Most States require a written, on-road, and vision test. The age at which teenagers can get a license and the rules new drivers must follow vary from State to