republican and democrat attitudes towards federalism

Question 1

democrat attitudes towards federalism

Answer 1

In the last century, Democrats have largely been supportive of the extension of federal power, seeing it as necessary to help the whole of society and tackle problems including unemployment and lack of access to healthcare.
○ This can be seen in FDR’s New Deal in the 1930s, LBJ’s Great Society in the 1960s and Obamacare.
○ All of these programmes included categorical grants; according to which the federal government specified how the state governments could use them.

Question 2

republican attitudes towards federalism

Answer 2

● Historically, Republicans have been far more supportive of federalism and protecting state power than Democrats.
○ Republican presidents including Nixon and Reagan sought to decrease the siz of the federal government and ensure that when federal money was given to states it was done so in the form of block grants, which gave states more power over how money could be spent, within a broad policy area.