American Federalism: A Concise Introduction

✍ Scribed by Larry N. Gerston

• Publisher: M.E. Sharpe
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 209
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Understanding federalism - the form of political organization that unites separate polities within an overarching political system so that all maintain their political integrity - is central to the study of democratic government in the United States. Yet, many political scientists treat federalism as a set of abstract principles or a maze of budgetary transfers with little connection to real political life. This concise and engaging book boils the discussion down to its essence: federalism is about power, specifically the tug for power among and within the various levels of government. Author Larry N. Gerston examines the historical and philosophical underpinnings of federalism; the various ''change events'' that have been involved in defining America's unique set of federal principles over time; and the vertical, horizontal, and international dimensions of federalism in the United States today. The result is a book examining the ways in which institutional political power is both diffused and concentrated in the United States.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 7
Preface......Page 9
Part I Creating a New Nation......Page 13
Defining Federalism and Organized Power in the “First New Nation"......Page 15
Endless Nuances......Page 18
The Four Characteristics of Federalism......Page 19
Fluidity and Continuity......Page 23
Outcomes of Federalism......Page 24
Follow the Bouncing Ball —The Uncertainties of Federalism......Page 26
Looking Ahead......Page 28
Questioning the Traditional Rules on Power and Governance......Page 29
New Theories and the Old Regime:Sowing Seeds of Change......Page 31
The Articles of Confederation:The First Effort at Self-Governance......Page 34
The Constitutional Convention: The Second Effort at Self-Governance......Page 36
From the Past to the Present......Page 42
Part II Organizing a Federal System of Government......Page 43
3 The Appeal of Tradition......Page 45
To Trust or Not to Trust the People —Con .icting Themes......Page 47
The Constitution:Assigned Powers and Early Interpretations......Page 50
Pitting Liberty against Equality?......Page 56
Tradition,Yes,But What Tradition?......Page 60
4 Institutional Change Agents Political Wellsprings......Page 61
The Courts as Change Agents......Page 62
The President as a Change Agent......Page 72
Congress as a Change Agent......Page 76
National Institutions on the March......Page 82
5 Informal Pressures on the Power Flow......Page 83
Political Parties......Page 84
Interest Groups......Page 88
Bureaucracy:Pushing from the Periphery of Power......Page 93
Public Opinion......Page 97
Informal Pressures:Ambiguous but Real......Page 99
Part III The Dimensions of Modern Federalism......Page 101
6 Vertical Federalism......Page 103
National/State Relations......Page 104
National/Local Federalism......Page 113
State/Local Relations......Page 116
Federal Grants-in-Aid as a Catalyst for Control......Page 117
National/Private Sector Relations......Page 122
Vertical Federalism in Perspective......Page 126
7 Horizontal Federalism Arrangements Among the States......Page 127
State Political Cultures in the Federal Framework......Page 128
Public Opinion and Policy Differences......Page 131
State-to-State Competition......Page 141
Regional Cooperation......Page 146
Horizontal Federalism in the Twenty-.rst Century......Page 149
8 The International Dimension of Federalism......Page 151
The Many Faces of Globalization......Page 152
Immigration......Page 157
Security......Page 161
International Dimensions in a Domestic Context......Page 165
Part IV Continuity and Change......Page 167
9 Explaining American Federalism in the Twenty-.rst Century......Page 169
Problem-Solving in a Defined Political Structure......Page 170
Emerging Themes,New Directions,Unanswered Questions......Page 174
The Future of American Federalism......Page 178
Notes......Page 181
Index......Page 199