Federalism Round Up-Chapter 4

Section 1 :

The Division of Powers- The powers are divided into three different groups: National powers, Concurrent powers, and State powers. Each of the groups have different kinds of power. There are three powers delegated to National powers they are expressed powers, implied powers, and inherent powers. The powers reserved to the states are those powers that the Constitution does not grant to the national government. Most of the powers the Constitution delegates to the National Government are exclusive powers and concurrent powers.

The Sumpreme Law of the Land- The division of powers in the American federal system produce a dual system of government, one in which two basic levels of government operate over the same territory and the same people at the same time. This is bound to have conflict between the national and state laws. To solve this problem the Framers of the Constitution added the Supremacy Clause. This means that the Constitution stands above all other forms of law.

Section 2 :

Admitting New States- Only the Congress has the power to admit new states into the Union. The Constitution only places one restriction on that power. A new state cannot be created by taking territiory away from one or more of the existing states without the consent of the legistatures and states involved. Congress has admitted 37 states since the original 13 were added. In order to be admitted it has to pass the enabling act and the act of admission.

The Nation's Obligations to the States- The Constitution places several different obligations on the National Government for the benifit of the states. It requires the National Government to guarentee every state in this union a republican form of government or representative government. Invasion and Internal disorder is also a big deal. Today it is clear that an invasion of any one of the 50 states would be met as an attack on the whole United States. 

Section 3 :

Interstate Compacts- With the consent of the Congress, States may enter themselves into a interstate compact, which is an agreement among themselves and foreign states. By 1920, there had only been 26 compacts made. Today there is over 200. All of the 50 states have at least joined in two of them. These compacts allow States to share important law-enforcement data.

Full Faith and Credit- The Full Faith and Credit Clause mostly comes to play in court matters. It ensures that records such as birth certificates and marriage licenses are recognized in all 50 states. That way a person can prove age, place of birth, maritial status, and similar facts that are necessary. The validity of these documents will be recognized in each of the 50 states.

Federalism Assignment

1.  What does Federalism mean by definition and what does Federalism mean to you?

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a national (federal) government and various regional governments. To me, federalsim means the power is divided between many different governments.

2.  List and describe the three powers of the National Government.

The three powers of the National Government are the expressed powers, the implied powers, and the inherent powers. The expressed powers are expressly stated in the Constitution and include the power to lay and collect taxes, to coin money, to raise and maintain armed forces, and to declare war. The implied powers are not expressly stated in the Constitution but are reasonably suggested. It has prohibited racial discrimination in granting access to such places as restaurants, theaters, hotels and motels. The inherent powers belong to the National Government because it is the government of a sovereign state within the world community. They are few in number.


3.  Explain the division of powers and why it is important?
The three divisions of power are National Powers, Concurrent Powers, and State Powers. National powers allow the National Government to coin money and declare war. Concurrent powers allow the government to borrow money and establish courts. State powers allow the government to conduct elections and establish local governments.

4.  What is the Supremacy Clause and what is its function?

The Supremacy Clause holds together the complex structure that is the American Federal system. It also joins the National Government and the States into a single government unit.


5.  Find a site on the Internet that deals with Federalism.  Take 10 minutes and review that site.  Provide the link and provide some of the useful information that you found to help you better understand what Federalism is and how it works.

http://thisnation.com/federalism.html

Federalism is not an easy topic to define. It brought the states together and made a federal system. The Framers of the Constitution created a federal system with a national government strong enough to unify the states in their pursuit of common goals without completely robbing the states of their independence.

What are your views on the latest political ads on TV?  What candidate(s) do you like or dislike and why?
I feel that all the canidates have strong polictical ads on TV. They are all very informational and show how and what they will do to help. My top candidate is probably Kristi Noem. My uncle is really into policitics and Kristi Noem and Stephanie Herseth were having a debate and the State Fair so i went with him to watch. I feel that Kristi cares more about the farmers and the national debt. Her main focus was to not push the health care bill and to focus more on paying off our debt. Stephanie was more about pushing the health care bill and i feel she didn't care as much as Kristi did.

What role do you feel that you will play in politics and government in the future?  What ways are you participating currently?

The role i feel i will play in the future is working for the government and voting during the elections. I help do activities at our church so that is a way i am currently participating in the government.