Developing Federalism

Chapter 4

Section 3

Section 3States’ Rightists and Nationalists

• The states’ rights position is the view of federalism that favors state and local action in dealing with problems.

• This view is that the Constitution is a compact among the states.

• States’ rightists believe state governments are closer to the people and can better reflect their wishes than the national government.

Section 3States’ Rightists and Nationalists (cont.)

• The nationalist position rejects the idea of the Constitution as a compact among the states, and believe the national government is not subordinate to the states.

• Believe the powers delegated to the national government should be expanded as necessary.

• Believe the national government stands for all the people, while each state speaks for only part of the people.

Section 3Growing National Government

• To meet the needs of a modern nation, the Supreme Court, Congress, and the president have stretched the powers of the central government using three provisions of the Constitution:

– The war powers—the national government has been given the authority to wage war.

– The power to regulate interstate commerce.

Section 3Growing National Government (cont.)

– The power to tax and spend—the Sixteenth Amendment gave Congress the power to levy an income tax.

• Sometimes Congress uses taxes to regulate businesses.

• Congress can use taxes to influence states to adopt certain programs.

Section 3Federal Aid to the States

• Congress has two major ways to influence the policies of state and local governments:

– by providing federal grants of money, and

– by mandating state and local governments to follow certain policies.

Section 3Federal Aid to the States (cont.)

• The national government provides money to the states through federal grants—sums of money given to state or local governments for specific purposes.

• Taxes are collected by the federal government from the states and then allocated through grants to people in many states.

Federal Revenue Returns to the States, 2005