CHAPTER FOUR
Federalism and the U.S. Constitution

Take a Position

Federalism is a complex way to govern a country because powers are split among different levels of government. Further, the enumerated powers in the Constitution specify the powers of Congress and the federal government, which includes the provision that Congress can do anything "necessary and proper" to carry out its duties. The Tenth Amendment reserves all other powers to the states. However, the distinction between where the powers that the federal government believes are necessary and proper end, and where the powers reserved to the states begin is unclear. Over time, power has increasingly become more centralized in the federal government.

Take a position: Should more governmental power and responsibility be shifted to the states? In other words, how much "devolution" is good devolution?

As you develop your argument, answer the following questions:

• Did the power of the federal government increase because the federal government made grabs for power, or did it expand to meet the needs of citizens?
• In recent years, the federal government has increased its presence in Americans' lives on issues of national security and terrorism, as well as on issues that had typically been thought of as state issues, such as education and public safety. Why do you think the federal government overstepped its boundaries into these areas?
• What would happen if we changed all federal grants to states from categorical grants to block grants?