Difficulties of Federalism

1
Difficulties of Federalism

• Allocation of power between national and
  state/local governments
• Ex. Hurricane Katrina

2
States Rights vs. National Authority

• Civil Rights
• National consensus that all citizens should be
  able to vote (some states blocked)
• Economic competition between states
• Low taxes (less social services), less
  environmental protection
• Race to the Bottom

3
Growth of National Government

• Many 1789 local problems are now national
• Growth of national economy, transportation,
  communication changed peoples attitudes
• Great Depression stimulated national action on
  welfare, unemployment, and farm surpluses
• WWII federal regulation of wages, prices,
  employment, resources, transprotation,
  inventions, (education post war)
• Growth of govt has created a constituency of,
  by, and for government

4
Devolution

• Post 1968
• Major ideological theme of Republican Party
• Size of federal government is a threat to
  individual liberty and to the power of the states
• Nixons New Federalism started process of
  devolve authority from the national government to
  the states
• Convert categorical grants into block grants