What is federalism and how does it function in the United States? Why is it such an effective guard against tyranny?

Federalism is the division of powers from national government to local government. Federalism helps bring government to the people.
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Alternatives to Federalism
Confederation- like the government under the former Articles of Confederation. This forms a loose union of states, with a weak central government.
Unitary system- under this type of government, all power resides in the national government. "

For example, the state has the power to make alcoholic drinking under the age of 21 to be illegal.

congress can impose a tax

the local neighborhood can have a curfew

These different levels of government and seperation of their powers is federalism

Is the division of powers between levels of government efficient or inefficient? Should the national government or the states be more predominant, or is this a false dichotomy given the complexity of government and the intermingling of functions today? Do we need to “sort out” which level of government should do what?……Someone please help me understand this.

That is what Bush did after 9/11.

Different Departments in the Government with duplicate or simular fuctions were not sharing inteligence and in some cases working against each other for a common goal. Just spinning their wheels so to speak.

Over time polititians creat departments without understanding what existing department do.

From time to time they do need to sort them out.

Separation of power and federalism were two key principles in the framing of the U.S. Constitution. These two principles are related in that each

a. requires a strong central government elected by a popular majority.
b. implies that it is sometimes necessary to exercise unrestrained power.
c. reflects a need for political virtue − frugality, industry, temperance, and simplicity.
d. grants power to a political elite that acts on behalf of the people.
e. involves a system of checks and balances in which power is dispersed.

e. involves a system of checks and balances in which power is dispersed.

and can you guys please give me two examples of federalism in the united states?

Here is a good website for information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism

And it’s important because our government is a blend of a federal government and a national government.

So I’m writing two paragraphs in social studies describing the differences. I know somebody has already asked this question, but I didn’t like the answer that was given. I can’t seem to find them anywhere, so can somebody help me? Thanks.

At the time when the Constitution of the United States of America was being crafted, there was a certain group of people who were opposing the Constitution (for whatsoever reasons) and in opposition to that group, there was another group who fully supported the proposal of the Constitution. The former group of people was known as the Anti-Federalists while the latter group was referred to as the Federalists.

There were two main criticisms due to which the Anti-Federalists were not willing or were too reticent to accept and support the Constitution. Firstly, it considered the Constitution to be vesting too much of power in the hands of the national government. Secondly it opposed the Constitution because it lacked a Bill of Rights that could provide the citizens of the United States with basic understood privileges like freedom of speech or religion.

As for the Federalists, they included most of those people who had helped to write the Constitution. They presented rational arguments in a series of essays called ‘the Federalist’, which was written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, while highlighting the failure of the Articles of Confederation. However the Federalists agreed with the Anti-Federalists on the idea that a Bill of Rights should be added to the US Constitution.

well i hope i helped even though i just copied and pasted LOL

I’ve looked it up everywhere. I still don’t understand the meaning. I’m so confused! Can someone explain to me what federalism is to me as you would explain to a 10 year old? Thanks!

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Federalism as, “the distribution of power in an organization (as a government) between a central authority and the constituent units”, or simply as it applies to the United States, it is the separation of powers from the National [Federal] Government and those of the individual states. It is a system that keeps the sovereign power among the many [States in regards to the United States] while having a separate sovereign power of the whole.

could you please give me atleast 3 ways how the structure of federalism is used to protect the rights of US citizen?

1. freedom of travel – New Jersey can’t put a sign on the George Washington Bridge saying "No New Yorkers allowed"
2. national defense – it is the duty of the federal government to protect the country from external threats
3. Bill of Rights – 14th Amendment guarantees that the Bill of Rights applies to states, as well, so the state of North Dakota, for instance, cannot restrict your right to free speech.
4. freedom of trade – Oregon cannot tax imports from California, thereby favoring local products and stifling interstate trade

13) Which statement is an example of the system of federalism?
1.Cabinet members are appointed by the president.
2.Revenue bills must begin in the House of Representatives.
3.The national government coins money, but states cannot.
4.The president can negotiate treaties, but the Senate has the power to ratify them.

3.
Federalism gives different powers to different levels of government

How does federalism shape governance in America?
Is the division of powers between levels of government efficient or inefficient?

It’s both efficient and ineffiecient. Compared to a system like in Britain, the American system is more democratic. The powers are more seperated and the Executive’s power is more limited. However, it’s difficult to get things done. That’s why in Britain we have a better developed welfare system, which has been around a lot longer.

Like in a really simple way that I’ll understand? I have to do some comic book about federalism for my government class and I don’t really know what it is.

"Federalism" is an established set of powers that are balanced between federal and state governments. When people initially called for federalism, they called for a federal government to coordinate the states. NOW people usually complain that the federal government interferes too much with the states. So "federalism" insists on a balance between the state and federal government, though people could be using the term to ask for more or less state/federal powers.

Here’s how to imagine how federalism got started:
Imagine that there’s no government in DC. There’s a bunch of states, some big, some small, some with great economies, some with developing economies, some coastal, some inland, etc. So what happens at wartime? Who fights? Which states deserve the most protection? Where should the government construct roads or railways? What about personal rights? Can I get executed for not saluting another state’s flag?
…All of those are exaggerations, of course. But there has been a need for some overarching standards and some coordination between states. You might say that federal involvement is what keeps states working together instead of just pursuing their own economies, trade, etc.

Federalism emerged to provide a level of government that would give some legal guarantees in every state. It protected individuals and it established a body that could intervene if states were actively hurting other states. (See, it wasn’t just a matter of giving up a state power, but also of giving states security.)

But now imagine that all of the government was in Washington DC. ALL of it. And the government in Washington DC is going to decide how everything in the US will be coordinated for every state.
I don’t know if you think that’s a problem, but you COULD think it’s a problem if your state never got any school funding or road projects. Or imagine that Washington DC decided that Delaware ought to have a higher tax rate so that the other 49 states didn’t have to.
The federal government could intervene on a state’s abilities. (You’ll see the term "federal tyranny" here.) Whereas a federal government provides standards and coordination for all states to abide by, local representation is needed so that all voices and powers still matter.

Federalism is supposed to balance these state and federal powers in a way that allows states to thrive and innovate whlie preventing states from hurting their citizens or each other.