POLI 2051 Chapter : GOV Chapter 3
Document Summary
Definition: at least two separate governments share responsibility for governing the same people and territory. Some lean more towards sate power, and some more toward national government power. We can think of federalism as a continuum. Baltimore decision (1833)- barron"s property was being taken by baltimore city, bill of rights protects individuals from bad actions of the national government, not the state government. But this did change to what we have today. National government has powers to promote commerce coining money, building post offices, roads, railroads, protecting inventions with patents. States have the coercive powers to define and maintain public order through laws and regulations. These include criminal codes, health and safety codes, marriage and divorce laws, the power to define private property, etc. 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.
