POLI 2051 Chapter : Chapter 3 Federalism
Document Summary
Definition: at least two separate governments share responsibility for governing the same people and territory. (federal and state government: the two separate governments must share power, not all federal systems are alike, however. Some lean more towards state power, and some more toward national government power: confederal_____________________________________________unitary (state holds power) (national holds power) How has federalism evolved in this country: traditional meeting of federalism: the barron v. baltimore decision (1833) . Bill of rights protects individuals from bad actions of the national government, not the state governments: federalism has several dimensions. These include criminal codes, health and safety codes, marriage and divorce laws, the power to define private property, etc. Towards a more modern understanding of federalism: clearly the above description does not describe our federal system today the national government has gained a great deal of power at the expense of the states.
