The Federal System: The State and the States

Question 1

Who are the two controllers of federal bureaucracy?

Answer 1

1. President

2. Congress (Paymaster - funding)

Question 2

How does Dual Federalism describe the relationship between the states and the federal government until 1937?

Answer 2

Autonomy and cooperation, each respect their significant roles

Question 3

How does Co-operative Federalism describe the relationships between the states and the federal government between 1937 and 1969?

Answer 3

Each maintain their respective roles, more cooperation, federal government starts to take a more dominant role, some resistance

Question 4

How does New Federalism describe the relationship between the states and the federal government between 1969 and the 1970s?

Answer 4

Federal government tries to determine policy through the states by using mandates (recieve money but have to follow rules to get it)

Question 5

How has the relationship between the states and federal government changed since the 1980s?

Answer 5

1. Centralisation of power
2. Devolution of power = states responsibilities to do certain things, no funding
3. State intergovernmentalism = states cooperate more amongst themselves in reaction to the growth of federal power e.g. uniform laws, more networking, emergency management, assistance contract

Question 6

What are the consequences of federalism?

Answer 6

1. Variety of public policy = disparity in policy e.g. abortion, drugs, same-sex marriage
2. Conflict = national policy coming against state ideology, Civil War
3. Resistance = state authority can resist federal government e.g. 1950s segregation in schools, Supreme Court ruling, President has to carry it out, some states especially in the Deep South resist, Little Rock, federal troops

Question 7

How have US Government Departments changed in recent decades?

Answer 7

Significant growth both in the number of departments and number of staff working in federal government particularly in the latter half of the 20th Century

Question 8

What are the five main reasons behind the growth in federal government’s power and the decline of states power?

Answer 8

1. Economic developments reducing the significance of state boundaries = interstate commerce government can tax
2. 1929 Great Depression = provider of welfare, local government couldn’t cope
3. US on the global stage = uniting against external threats
4. 1913 Federal income tax = federal government can raise and spend
5. Supreme Court rulings

Question 9

Which Amendment most significantly protects state rights?

Answer 9

10th Amendment

Question 10

Why do arguably the states still hold a lot of power?

Answer 10

Control both their own civil and criminal law (e.g. education, taxes), most laws are state not federal law, more state regulation than federal regulation