Are federalism and devolution similar

Question 1

Are federalism and devolution similar

Answer 1

1. No, the USA has an entrenched constitution meaning the powers of the state are inherent and cannot be removed easily
   E.g. states retain the power to decide the punishments for prisoners, which is why states such as Kansas still decide to use the death penalty, versus New York where the death penalty has been outlawed.

(IDEOLOGY LINK)
Many conservative thinkers share this idea of a federal society
E.g. Edmund Burke believed in the idea of society being comprised of self-sufficient ‘little platoons’
(These would allow natural bonds of trust and unity to form)

In contrast, the uncodified constitution of the UK means powers can quite easily be added and taken away from devolved nations
E.g. For example, Westminster removed the powers of the Northern Irish Assembly from 2017 to 2020 due to disagreements within their government.

2. Yes, growing powers of devolved bodies in the UK
   E.g. the Scotland Act 2012 gave the Scottish Parliament the power to levy taxes by 10 pence per pound.

Yes, unlike the the UK government which has increasingly weaker due to devolution, the UD government has become more centralised meaning the gap in power between devolved bodies in the UK and states in the US is narrower
E.g. the No Child Left Behind was a federal program in 2001 which ensured a higher standard of education among states
(therefore, states did not have the same degree of autonomy over education as before as they had to meet federal standards)