Beruflich Dokumente
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Autocracy (dictatorship)
Oligarchy (rule by a small group)
Constitutional monarchy
Government under the Articles of
Confederation, 1781-1788
The confederation was a union of
states in which the central government
received power from the states and had
no direct authority over the people.
In practice, it was unable to force states
to pay the taxes they owed and
remained a weak system of
government.
Government under U.S. Constitution (Federation): 1789 -
The Flow of Power in Three Systems of
Government
Advantages of Federalism
Federalism checks the growth of tyranny
Federalism allows unity without
uniformity
Federalism encourages experimentation
Federalism keeps government closer to
the people
Training for national officials
More arenas for public participation
Federal Systems
Advantages Disadvantages
Permits diversity and Makes national unity difficult
diffusion of power to achieve and maintain
Local governments can State governments may
handle local problems better resist national policies
More access points for May permit economic
political participation
inequality and racial
Protects individual rights
discrimination
against concentrated
Law enforcement and
government power
Fosters experimentation and justice are uneven
innovation Smaller units may lack
Suits a large country with a expertise and money
diverse population May promote local
dominance by special
interests
Number of Governments in the
United States
3,143
Number of Governments
In America there are close to 89,000
governments.
About half of these units are school or
other special districts, and many of the
remaining governments are townships
and municipalities.
there are over 3,000 counties
50 state governments and one federal
government.
Quick Assessment
1) The advantages of federalism are that
it
A) creates a unified governmental
system
B) encourages experimentation
C) checks the growth of tyranny
D) All of the above
2) In a unitary system of government, a
constitution places all governmental
power
A) with all of the systems of government
B) with the central government
C) with the localities
D) with the state government
An Expanding Nation
A great advantage of federalism and
part of the genius and flexibility of our
constitutional systemhas been the
way in which we acquired territory and
extended rights and guarantees by
means of statehood, commonwealth,
or territorial status, and thus grew from
13 to 50 states, plus territories.
Admission of States to the Union
Louisiana Purchase - 1803
Florida - 1819
Texas - 1845
Oregon - 1846
Mexican Cession - 1848
Gadsden Purchase - 1853
Alaska - 1867
Hawaii - 1898
Philippines - 1898 to1946
Puerto Rico - 1899
Guam - 1899
American Samoa - 1900
Canal Zone - 1904 to 2000
U.S. Virgin Islands - 1917
Pacific Islands Trust Territory
- 1947
Admission of States to the Union
Formal Constitutional
Framework
The national government has only those
powers delegated to it by the Constitution
The national government is supreme
The state governments have residual powers;
meaning those neither assigned to the national
government nor denied to the states
Some powers are specifically denied to both the
national government and the state government
The U. S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It
sets forth arrangements such as checks and balances,
federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due
process, and the protection of individual rights.
Distribution of Power
(SHARED POWERS)
Concurrent
Powers
National State
Government Government
Police Power:
In the U.S., most police power
is reserved to the states.
3) State regulation of their economies
have led some business interests to
call for
A) state compacts
B) decreased federal control
C) increased federal regulation
D) none of the above
Interstate Relations
Article IV of the Constitution attempts to
resolve potential problems between states
by stipulating the following:
Full faith and credit
Privileges and
immunities
Extradition
Interstate compacts
Political Culture: Reflected in States Policies
Gay couples renew their vows to each other in this ceremony in San
Francisco's Metropolitan Community church.
States must give full faith and credit to each others
public acts, records, and judicial proceedings; extend
to each others citizens the privileges and immunities
it gives its own; and return fugitives from justice.
The Role of the Federal Courts:
Umpires of Federalism
Categorical Strings-Attached
Grants
Formula Grants
Project Grants
Block Grants
Federal Mandates
Utility of Federal Grants
To supply state and local governments
with revenue
To establish minimum national standards
for such things as highways and clean air
To equalize resources among states
To attack national problems yet minimize
the growth of federal agencies
Quick Assessment
1) Federal grants serve four purposes, one
of which is to
A) equalize state revenues.
B) provide government with a way to levy
more taxes.
C) supply the Supreme Court with revenue.
D) supply the state and local governments
with revenue.
2) Which type of federal grants "are
allocated by formula and are subject
to detailed federal conditions?"
A) block grants
B) categorical-formula grants
C) project grants
D) revenue-sharing grants
3) If you are not a government agency
but have a proposal for a program, you
might apply for a
A) loan
B) special-funds grant
C) project grant
D) none of the above
4) A rule or regulation handed down to
the states without money attached is
called
A) unfunded mandates
B) unitary government
C) regulatory infringement
D) line-item regulation
Accomplishments of Federal Authority
Civil rights & the War on Poverty
Economic relief
States favor the status quo
The Shift
Toward Central
Government
Spending
The Politics of Federalism, a
Republican Issue
The Growth of Big Government
The Devolution Revolution: Rhetoric Versus
Reality
New Federalism. Beginning with President Richard
Nixon (19691974), the Republican Party championed
devolution, or the transfer of powers from the national
government to the states. They called this policy
federalism, a new use of the term.
Under current conditions liberals may have pragmatic
reasons to support states rights in some instances, such
as in gay rights issues.
A new survey from
the Pew Research
Center finds wide
gaps in how different
generations view
politics.