Federalism in the United States | US government and civics | Khan Academy

Summary

This video delves into the concept of federalism, a foundational principle of the U.S. government. It explains federalism as a pact between the national government and states, characterized by distinct but interrelated layers of governance. The video uses the analogy of a layered cake to illustrate the division of powers, which has evolved over time into a more intertwined 'marble cake' model. It discusses exclusive and concurrent powers, with examples like federal control over coining money and declaring war, and shared responsibilities like taxation and law enforcement. The video also touches on how the federal government can influence areas typically reserved for states, such as education, through funding and grants.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Federalism is a core concept in the United States government, referring to the division of power between the national government and state governments.
• 📜 The term 'federalism' originates from the Latin word 'foedus', which means a treaty, agreement, contract, league, or pact.
• 🌐 Federalism can be visualized as a layered cake, with each layer representing a different level of government: federal, state, and local.
• 🔄 Over time, the relationship between different levels of government in the U.S. has evolved from a distinct layered cake model to a more intertwined marble cake model.
• 💼 Exclusive federal powers include coining money, declaring war, conducting foreign affairs, raising armies, and regulating naturalization and foreign commerce.
• 🏢 States have exclusive powers such as conducting elections, establishing local governments, regulating intrastate commerce, and ratifying constitutional amendments.
• 🔄 Concurrent powers are shared between the federal and state governments and include taxation, law enforcement, chartering of banks, eminent domain, establishing courts, and borrowing money.
• 🏫 Even in areas where states have exclusive powers, like education, the federal government can still influence through funding and policy incentives.
• 🌐 Understanding federalism is crucial for comprehending not only the U.S. government but also the structure of many governments around the world.

Q & A

What is the origin of the word 'federalism'?

The word 'federalism' originates from the Latin word 'foedus', which refers to a treaty, agreement, contract, league, or pact.

How does the concept of federalism relate to the United States government?

Federalism in the United States government refers to a pact between the national government and its states, creating a system with various layers of government including the federal, state, and local levels.

What is the analogy used to describe the structure of federalism?

The analogy used to describe federalism is that of a layered cake, where each layer represents a different level of government.

How has the concept of federalism evolved over time in the United States?

Over time, the concept of federalism in the United States has evolved from a layered cake model to a marble cake model, indicating that the powers of different government levels are more mixed and overlapping.

What are exclusive federal powers according to the script?

Exclusive federal powers include coining money, declaring war, conducting foreign affairs, raising armies, rules of naturalization, and regulating foreign commerce.

What are some exclusive powers of the states as mentioned in the script?

Exclusive state powers include conducting elections, establishing local governments, regulating intrastate commerce, and ratifying constitutional amendments.

What is meant by concurrent powers in the context of federalism?

Concurrent powers are those powers that both the federal and state governments share, such as the ability to levy taxes, create laws, enforce laws, charter banks, exercise eminent domain, establish courts, and borrow money.

How does the federal government influence areas that are typically exclusive state powers?

The federal government can influence areas that are typically exclusive state powers through mechanisms like grants, which provide funding in exchange for compliance with federal guidelines or policies.

What is an example of how the federal government can influence state-run schools?

The federal government can influence state-run schools by offering additional funding if the states implement certain federal education policies or reforms.

Why is understanding federalism important for comprehending how the United States government works?

Understanding federalism is important because it provides insight into how power is distributed and exercised among different levels of government, which is crucial for grasping the functioning of the U.S. government and many other governments worldwide.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Introduction to Federalism

The video begins by exploring the concept of federalism, a fundamental aspect of the United States government. Federalism is derived from the Latin word 'foedus,' which relates to treaties or agreements. It is depicted as a pact between the national government and its states, creating a multi-layered government structure including the federal government, states, and local governments. The instructor uses the analogy of a layered cake to illustrate the distinct yet interconnected layers of government. However, the United States' federalism has evolved over time, becoming more akin to a marble cake, where the powers of different government levels are mixed and overlapping. Exclusive and concurrent powers are discussed, with exclusive federal powers including coining money, declaring war, and regulating foreign affairs, while states hold exclusive powers over conducting elections and regulating intrastate commerce. A Venn diagram is introduced to visually differentiate between exclusive federal and state powers and concurrent powers shared between them.

05:01

🏦 Exclusive and Concurrent Powers in Detail

This section delves deeper into the specifics of exclusive and concurrent powers. Exclusive federal powers are those that only the federal government can exercise, such as minting currency, declaring war, and controlling naturalization and foreign commerce. States, on the other hand, have exclusive powers like conducting elections and regulating intrastate commerce. Concurrent powers are shared between the federal and state governments, encompassing taxation, law enforcement, banking, eminent domain, and the establishment of courts. The video also touches on how the federal government can influence areas typically under state jurisdiction, such as education, through funding and grants. This nuanced relationship between federal and state powers is crucial for understanding the complex structure of governance in the United States.

Keywords

💡Federalism

Federalism refers to a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units, such as states or provinces. In the context of the video, federalism is a core concept of the United States government, illustrating the division of power between the national government and the states. The video explains federalism as a pact between the national government and its states, highlighting the layered structure of governance.

💡Foedus

The Latin word 'foedus' is the root of federalism, meaning a treaty, agreement, contract, league, or pact. The video uses this term to explain the etymology of federalism, suggesting that it is based on a foundational agreement between different levels of government.

💡National Government

The national or federal government is the central authority in a federal system, responsible for matters of national concern. The video describes it as one of the layers in the federal cake analogy, with exclusive powers such as coining money, declaring war, and regulating foreign commerce.

💡States

States are the political subdivisions within a federal system, possessing a degree of autonomy and self-governance. The video mentions states as a layer in the federal cake, having powers such as conducting elections and regulating intrastate commerce.

💡Local Governments

Local governments, including city and county governments, are the most immediate level of government for citizens, dealing with local issues and services. The video includes local governments as part of the layered cake analogy, indicating their role in the federal structure.

💡Layered Cake Analogy

The layered cake analogy is used in the video to visualize the separation of powers in a federal system, with each layer representing a different level of government. The video later modifies this analogy to a marble cake to represent the overlapping and mixed nature of federal powers.

💡Exclusive Powers

Exclusive powers are those that are granted solely to one level of government, without sharing them with other levels. The video provides examples such as the federal government's exclusive right to coin money and declare war, while states have the exclusive power to conduct elections.

💡Concurrent Powers

Concurrent powers are those that can be exercised by both the federal and state governments. The video lists examples like taxation, law enforcement, and the establishment of courts, indicating areas where both levels of government share authority.

💡Venn Diagram

A Venn diagram is a visual tool used in the video to illustrate the relationship between exclusive federal powers, exclusive state powers, and concurrent powers. It helps to clarify which powers are unique to each level of government and which are shared.

💡Eminent Domain

Eminent domain is the power of the government to take private property for public use, provided that fair compensation is given. The video mentions it as a concurrent power, indicating that both federal and state governments have the authority to exercise it.

💡Grants

Grants are financial aid provided by the federal government to states or local governments for specific purposes. The video explains how the federal government can influence areas of exclusive state power, like education, through the provision of grants contingent on compliance with federal guidelines.

Highlights

Federalism is a core concept of the United States government, originating from the Latin word 'foedus', meaning treaty or pact.

Federalism can be viewed as a pact between the national government and its states, creating a multi-layered government structure.

The analogy of a layered cake is used to describe the distinct layers of government, including federal, state, and local levels.

Over time, the clear distinctions between government layers have become more like a marble cake, with powers mixed and overlapping.

Exclusive federal powers include coining money, declaring war, conducting foreign affairs, raising armies, and regulating naturalization and foreign commerce.

States have exclusive powers such as conducting elections, establishing local governments, regulating intrastate commerce, and ratifying constitutional amendments.

Concurrent powers are shared between federal and state governments, including taxation, law enforcement, and the chartering of banks.

A Venn diagram is used to illustrate the differences between exclusive federal powers, exclusive state powers, and concurrent powers.

The federal government can influence state powers through grants and funding, even in areas that are traditionally state powers.

Understanding federalism is crucial for comprehending the structure and function of the United States government and many other governments worldwide.

The federal government has exclusive authority over foreign affairs and trade agreements.

State governments are responsible for establishing local governments and regulating commerce within their borders.

Concurrent powers allow both federal and state governments to enact laws, tax, and establish courts and law enforcement agencies.

The federal government's exclusive power to coin money ensures a统一的 national currency.

The power to declare war is an exclusive federal power, reflecting the central role of the federal government in national defense.

The federal government's regulation of immigration and naturalization is crucial for maintaining a cohesive national identity.

State governments play a key role in conducting elections, even for federal positions like the presidency.

The ability of states to ratify constitutional amendments is a significant check on federal power.

The federal government's influence over education, despite it being traditionally a state power, demonstrates the complexity of federalism.

Transcripts

- [Instructor] What we're going to do in this video

is talk about the idea of federalism,

which is core to the United States government.

Now federalism, the word originates,

its root comes from the Latin word foedus,

which I'm probably not pronouncing perfectly,

but it's in reference to things like a treaty,

an agreement, a contract, a league, or a pact.

And federalism you can view as a pact

between a national government and its states.

It's referring to a government that has various layers

where you could have the national government,

often known as the federal government,

and then you have the states, and you're gonna have

multiple states over here, and then you could have

even further layers, and in the United States you indeed do.

You have the local governments,

and even within the local you have city governments,

you have county governments.

The analogy that's often made is originally the federal idea

was kind of like a layered cake,

so this is my best attempt at drawing a quick layered cake,

where you could view each layer

as one of the layers of government.

So when I cut open that cake, maybe right over here

this blue layer right over here,

it's blue flavored cake, maybe it's an ice cream cake

of some kind, that might be the federal government.

Then this yellow, maybe it's mango-flavored,

that would be the state government.

And then you have your strawberry-flavored local government.

That is one view of federalism, but it turns out

in the United States, especially over the passage of time

this has gotten mixed up a little bit.

So even though the United States might have started

a little bit closer to something like this layered cake,

today it is more of a marble cake

where the different layers and their powers

are more mixed together, and so this is my attempt

to drawing the mixing of these various powers.

And not only do they mix, they overlap.

That different layers of our federal government,

some have exclusive powers,

which means that's the only layer that has them,

while some of them,

while sometimes there are concurrent powers,

which means these are powers that multiple layers

might actually have.

Now to appreciate what these exclusive

and concurrent powers are,

here's a Venn diagram that shows some of them.

So on the left-hand side right over here you have

your exclusive federal powers.

So in the United States, only the federal government

can coin money.

You can't have money from Texas or California.

Only the federal government can declare war,

which is related to the idea of conducting foreign affairs,

which once again, only the federal government can do.

That's also related to raising armies, once again,

only the federal government.

Rules of naturalization, who becomes an immigrant,

who gets a green card, who becomes a citizen,

all determined by the federal government

not by the states.

And the federal government regulates

not just foreign affairs, but foreign commerce,

trade agreements, and how is trade done.

They're regulating between the states.

Now exclusive powers to the states, they conduct elections.

You might say, "Wait, wait, wait.

"Hold on a second.

"Aren't there federal elections?"

Well it turns out, even for election for a president,

the elections are conducted by the state government.

Remember, we have the electoral college.

They want to figure out who should

that state's electors vote for.

Establishing local governments; what are the counties,

what are the various jurisdiction within a state?

Similarly, intrastate commerce, that's regulated

by the state, about the commerce that happens

within the state.

And then the Constitution allows the states

to be the main power in ratifying constitutional amendments.

The Senate and House can propose amendments,

but 3/4 of the states have to vote to ratify

constitutional amendments.

Now what we see in the middle of this Venn diagram,

these are concurrent powers,

which means that they are common

to both federal and the state governments.

You can have federal taxes and you can have state taxes.

In fact, most of us have both.

There are federal laws and there are state laws.

Similarly, there's federal law enforcement,

you can think of the FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation,

and of course you have state police and local police.

The chartering of banks, eminent domain,

which we might do another video on in the future,

but this is the idea that a government can view

taking land as the interest of the broader good

in order to put down power lines or a highway

and ideally compensate the people that it takes from

if it's for the greater good.

Establishing courts, you have a federal court system

and a state court system, which we'll talk more about

in future videos.

And borrowing money, they both can issue bonds

if they want to have a large project

or to finance their deficit.

All of these things are concurrent powers.

Now this list is not exhaustive for any one of the three,

for the exclusive federal powers, the concurrent powers,

I'll do this dot, dot, dot here,

and the exclusive state powers.

And one thing that you will see,

even certain exclusive state powers,

so for example, education is for the most part

considered an exclusive state power, but then you might say,

"Hold on a second.

"Isn't there a federal department of education?"

I'll do that over here.

And the way this is a good example

of how the federal government,

even when something might be more

of an exclusive state power where the federal government

can still influence it.

And they do that through grants.

So even though the states and local governments

might run the schools, the federal government might say,

"Hey, if you do X, Y, and Z, which we want you to do,

"then we will give you more funding for your schools,"

and so that might be motivation for the states

to listen to the federal government.

So I will leave you there.

This is super important to understand

if you want to understand how the United States works,

and frankly, most governments in the world today.