What is Federalism?

Understatnd the basic concept of federalism and how it is implemented. Hey guys I’m going to quickly go over the basics of federalism and how it affects our everyday lives. In simple terms federalism is A system of government in which power is divided between a central government and state governments. The united states is a prime example of federalism. Both the federal government and the state governments have their own powers.

The constitution grants certain powers to the federal government and certain powers to the state governments. The powers granted to the federal government are found in Article I, section 8 of the constitution and are known as expressed powers. These 17 powers include the power to collect taxes, to coin money, to declare war, and to regulate commerce. In addition to expressed powers, Article I Section 8 contains another important source of power for the federal government, known as Implied powers, which enable congress to “make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers.” You might know this better as the elastic clause.

As stated in the tenth amendment, the powers that the constitution does not delegate to the national government or prohibit to the states are “reserved to the states respectively, or to the people”. The tenth amendment is also called the “reserved powers amendment” because it aims to reserve power to the states. The tenth amendment was strongly backed by the anti-federalists who feared a strong federal government would encroach upon individual liberty. Some examples of the powers reserved for the states include the power to encore criminal codes, to administer health and safety rules, and to regulate the family via marriage and divorce laws.

In some areas the states share concurrent powers with the national government. For example, the power to levy taxes, establish courts, and regulate banks are shared by both the state and federal governments as well as local governments. Wherever there is a direct conflict of laws between the federal and state levels, the issue will most likely be resolved in favor of national supremacy.
Thanks for watching everybody, I hope I was able to help your understanding of federalism. Make sure to tune into my other video’s to learn more about US government and politics.

Let’s recap what we have learned. Federalism is A system of government in which power is divided between a central government and state governments.