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.