Transcript Aim: Why did the Framers create a Federalist system? Chap 3, Day 1 Do Now: How does federalism protect the people’s rights? PAIR/SHARE This balance.

Aim: Why did the Framers create a
Federalist system?
Chap 3, Day 1
Do Now: How does federalism protect the people’s
rights? PAIR/SHARE
This balance between the National and State
governments ought to be dwelt on with peculiar
attention, as it is of the utmost importance. It forms a
double security to the people. If one encroaches on
their rights they will find a powerful protection in the
other. Indeed, they will both be prevented from
overpassing their constitutional limits by a certain
rivalship, which will ever subsist between them.
- Alexander Hamilton
Federalism
• Federalism - Organizing a nation so that
two or more levels of government have
formal authority over the same land and
people (11 out of 190 nations).
• Unitary governments – organizing a nation
so all power resides in the central
government (Most in world)
• Confederation – a nation in which the
central government is weaker than the
states.
• Intergovernmental Relations – interactions
among nat’l, state and local govts.
????
• How would politics and policies be
different in America if there were a
unitary system instead of a federal
system?
• Or a confederation instead of a
federal system?
Why is Federalism so important?
• Decentralizes our politics – SO?
• More opportunities for political
participation
• Decentralizes our policies – SO?
• Federal and state governments handle
different problems.
• National campaigns for the Presidency actually take
place in the states. Candidates must win states,
rather than the national vote, and they focus their
energy on politically competitive states. Obama in
2008 in Ohio.
Federalism in the Constitution
• “Federalism” is NOT in the Constitution
• The Division of Power
• The writers of the Constitution carefully
defined the powers of state and national
governments.
• Although favoring a stronger national
government, states were retained as vital
components of government.
Federalism - Examples
• National Govt. (Delegated) Coin money,
conduct foreign relations, regulate commerce
with foreign nations and interstate, army and
navy, declare war
• State Govt.(Reserved)- establish local govts.,
regulate commerce within state, public
health, safety, morals, conduct elections,
ratify amendments to Constitution
• Both Natl. and State (Concurrent) – tax,
borrow money, establish courts, make &
enforce laws
Federalism in the Constitution
• The supremacy clause deals with the
question of which government should prevail
in disputes between the states and the
national government; Article VI states that
three items are the supreme law of the land:
• The Constitution
• Laws of the national government (when
consistent with the Constitution)
• Treaties (which can only be made by the
national government)
Fed in Constitution
• Judges in every state were specifically bound by
the Constitution.
• Questions remain concerning the boundaries of
the national government’s powers.
• The national government can only operate within
its appropriate sphere and cannot usurp the
states’ powers.
• The Tenth Amendment states that “powers not
delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states,
are reserved to the states respectively, or to the
people.”
• There have been variations in the Court’s
interpretation of the Tenth Amendment.
Summary
• How do you think the federalist system
influenced the civil rights movement? Would
this change have occurred faster in the
South if America had a unitary democratic
system?
• Can you think of any negative effect such a
system might have had on the outcome of
the civil rights movement?