US Federalism For Dummies: American Government Review

Summary

This video delves into the history of federalism in the United States, exploring its evolution from the Constitution's founding principles to modern interpretations. It discusses dual federalism, the balance of power between federal and state governments, and significant constitutional clauses like the Supremacy and Elastic Clauses. The lecture covers various eras, including the Civil War's impact on federal power, the New Deal's cooperative federalism, and the modern push toward devolution, emphasizing the ongoing debate over the role of government in American society.

Takeaways

• 📜 The video discusses the history and evolution of federalism in the United States, focusing on its constitutional basis and development over time.
• 🏛️ Federalism is defined as the division of power between the federal and state governments, with dual federalism represented by a Venn diagram showing separate but overlapping spheres of influence.
• 📜 The Constitution's Supremacy Clause (Article VI) establishes that federal law supersedes state law, reflecting the central government's dominance in certain areas.
• 📚 Delegated powers, as outlined in the Constitution, particularly in Article I, Section 8, define the federal government's authority and responsibilities.
• 🔗 The Elastic Clause allows Congress to pass laws necessary and proper to execute its expressed powers, providing flexibility in federal governance.
• 🛍️ The Interstate Commerce Clause empowers the federal government to regulate trade among the states, which has been interpreted broadly over time.
• 🔒 The 10th Amendment to the Constitution reserves powers not delegated to the federal government for the states, upholding the concept of states' rights.
• 🎂 'Layer cake' federalism, post-Civil War, illustrates a clear separation of powers between federal and state governments, like layers of a cake.
• 🍰 'Marble cake' federalism, emerging after the New Deal, represents a more intertwined model where federal and state powers blend, akin to the swirls in marble cake.
• 🏦 The video also touches on 'competitive federalism' and 'new federalism', which involve states competing for federal funds and a return to states' rights, respectively.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the history of federalism in the United States, focusing on its evolution and the division of power between the federal and state governments.

What does the term 'dual federalism' refer to?

Dual federalism refers to the concept where the federal government and state governments have separate and distinct powers, visualized often as a Venn diagram with separate but non-overlapping circles.

What is the significance of the Supremacy Clause in the context of federalism?

The Supremacy Clause, found in Article Five of the U.S. Constitution, establishes that federal law supersedes state law, ensuring that the federal government reigns supreme in cases of conflict between federal and state powers.

What is the 'elastic clause' and how does it relate to federal powers?

The elastic clause, also known as the 'necessary and proper' clause, allows Congress to pass laws that are necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated powers, thus expanding the scope of federal authority.

How does the 10th Amendment influence the balance of power between the federal and state governments?

The 10th Amendment reserves all powers not delegated to the federal government in the Constitution to the states, thus limiting the federal government's powers and reinforcing the concept of states' rights.

What is 'layer cake federalism' and how did it emerge?

Layer cake federalism is a model where the federal government's powers are seen as distinct layers above the state governments' powers, with no intermingling of authority. It emerged after the Civil War and was solidified by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.

What is 'marble cake federalism' and how does it differ from layer cake federalism?

Marble cake federalism is a model where federal and state powers are intermingled, with the federal government providing funding and guidelines for programs that states administer. It contrasts with layer cake federalism by emphasizing cooperation and shared responsibilities.

What is 'competitive federalism' and how does it relate to state and federal dynamics?

Competitive federalism is a concept where states compete for federal funds by proposing innovative programs that align with federal goals. It encourages states to take more responsibility and initiative in addressing issues in exchange for federal support.

What does 'new federalism' entail, and which U.S. president is often associated with it?

New federalism involves the devolution of power from the federal government to the states, aiming to reduce the size of federal programs and increase state autonomy. It is often associated with President Ronald Reagan, who advocated for limited government and state rights.

How does 'fiscal federalism' impact the financial relationship between the federal and state governments?

Fiscal federalism deals with the financial aspects of federalism, including how funds are distributed between the federal and state governments through grants. It involves various types of grants, such as formula grants, competitive grants, and block grants, which influence how states address public policy issues.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Federalism in U.S. History

This paragraph introduces the topic of federalism in the United States, highlighting the importance of understanding constitutional language when discussing current events. The script discusses the duality of federalism as established by the Constitution, with influences from figures like Alexander Hamilton advocating for a strong central government, while also including 'trap doors' to limit federal power and reserve some for state and local entities. The concept of dual federalism is introduced, using a Venn diagram analogy to illustrate the division of power between federal and state governments. Key constitutional terms like the Supremacy Clause, delegated powers, the Elastic Clause, and the Interstate Commerce Clause are mentioned as they relate to the balance of power in federalism.

05:02

🏛️ The 10th Amendment and Limited Government

The second paragraph delves into the 10th Amendment and its role in protecting individual liberties by limiting the federal government's power. It contrasts the idea of a strong central government with the libertarian view that government's primary role is to safeguard the freedoms people are born with. The paragraph discusses how the 10th Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government for the states, using examples like drug legalization and gay marriage to illustrate issues that are left to state jurisdiction. The tension between the elastic clause and the 10th Amendment is also explored, setting the stage for ongoing political debates about the extent of federal power.

10:02

🎂 Layer Cake Federalism Post-Civil War

This section uses the analogy of a layer cake to describe the paradigm shift in federalism following the Civil War. It discusses how the war, which was fundamentally about the balance of power between federal and state governments, resulted in a stronger federal government. Key amendments like the 13th, 14th, and 15th are mentioned, with a focus on the 14th Amendment's equal protection and due process clauses. The paragraph explains how these amendments reinforced federal power, particularly in protecting the rights of newly freed slaves from potential state infringements, thus creating a distinct layering of powers between federal and state governments.

15:04

🍰 Marble Cake Federalism and the New Deal

The fourth paragraph introduces 'marble cake federalism,' a term used to describe the increased collaboration between federal and state governments, particularly during the New Deal era. It contrasts with 'layer cake federalism' by illustrating a blend of powers rather than distinct layers. The paragraph discusses programs like the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Social Security, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which were federally funded but state-administered. This approach to federalism is characterized by a 'bleed through' of responsibilities and funding, where the federal government provides direction and money, but states manage the execution of programs.

20:05

🏥 Creative Federalism and the War on Poverty

This section discusses 'creative federalism,' which is characterized by the federal government taking a more directive role in state affairs, particularly in addressing social issues like poverty, healthcare, and civil rights. The paragraph contrasts this approach with previous forms of federalism, where the federal government acted more as a partner or collaborator. Examples given include Medicaid, Medicare, and food stamp programs, which are designed and funded by the federal government but implemented by the states. The paragraph also touches on the philosophical debate between conservatives, who view this as an overreach of federal power, and liberals, who see it as necessary to ensure equality of opportunity.

25:06

💵 Fiscal Federalism and the Dynamics of Funding

The final paragraph in the provided script discusses 'fiscal federalism,' focusing on the financial aspects of how federalism operates, particularly the flow of funds between federal and state governments. It explains different types of grants, including formula grants, which are based on specific state needs, and competitive grants, which are awarded based on the merit of a state's proposed program. The paragraph also touches on block grants, which are larger sums of money given to states with fewer federal restrictions on usage, allowing states more flexibility in addressing local issues. The discussion highlights the ongoing tension between the federal government's desire to ensure national standards and states' rights to self-governance.

Keywords

💡Federalism

Federalism refers to the division of power between a central government and regional governments, such as states or provinces. In the context of the video, federalism is the core theme, with the script discussing how the concept has evolved throughout U.S. history, particularly in relation to the U.S. Constitution. The video mentions 'dual federalism' and how it has transformed into 'layer cake' and 'marble cake' federalism, illustrating the shifting balance of power between federal and state governments.

💡Supremacy Clause

The Supremacy Clause, found in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, establishes that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties take precedence over state laws. The script uses the Supremacy Clause to highlight the foundational principle that the federal government reigns supreme over states, ensuring a uniform national legal system.

💡Delegated Powers

Delegated powers are the specific authorities granted to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution. The video script discusses how these powers, enumerated particularly in Article I, Section 8, define the scope of federal responsibilities. An example from the script is the federal government's power to regulate interstate commerce.

💡Elastic Clause

The Elastic Clause, also known as the Necessary and Proper Clause, allows Congress to pass any laws necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated powers. The video explains how this clause has been used to expand federal authority, as it provides a broad interpretation that can encompass various actions to promote the general welfare.

💡Interstate Commerce Clause

The Interstate Commerce Clause empowers the federal government to regulate trade between states. The script discusses how this clause has been interpreted to expand federal control over various aspects of economic activity, from traditional trade to more complex issues like healthcare and the environment.

💡10th Amendment

The 10th Amendment is part of the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights and reserves all powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people. The video script contrasts the 10th Amendment with the Supremacy Clause to illustrate the tension between state and federal powers, emphasizing states' rights to self-governance.

💡Dual Federalism

Dual federalism is a concept where the federal and state governments operate independently and concurrently in their own spheres, as depicted by the video's mention of a Venn diagram. This concept is used in the script to explain the original constitutional design where each government has separate and distinct powers.

💡Layer Cake Federalism

Layer cake federalism is a metaphor used in the video to describe a system where the federal and state governments have distinct and separate areas of responsibility, like layers in a cake. The video discusses how this concept emerged after the Civil War, with the federal government's power being more clearly defined and enforced.

💡Marble Cake Federalism

Marble cake federalism, another metaphor used in the video, refers to a system where the responsibilities of federal and state governments are intermingled, much like the swirls in a marble cake. This concept is associated with the New Deal era, where the federal government and states collaborated on programs to address the economic crisis.

💡Cooperative Federalism

Cooperative federalism is a model where the federal government and states work together to administer programs and policies. The video script mentions this in the context of the New Deal, where the federal government provided funding and guidelines, while states managed the execution of programs like the Tennessee Valley Authority.

💡Devolution

Devolution is the process of transferring powers and responsibilities from the central government to regional governments. The video discusses devolution in the context of 'New Federalism,' a movement that aimed to return certain powers from the federal government back to the states, as exemplified by policies during the Reagan administration.

Highlights

Introduction to the history of federalism in the United States.

Explanation of the importance of understanding constitutional language for discussing current events.

Discussion on the duality of federalism in the Constitution, reflecting both centralization and decentralization tendencies.

Definition of federalism as the division of power between federal and state governments.

Introduction to dual federalism and its representation through a Venn diagram.

Explanation of the Supremacy Clause and its role in establishing federal power over states.

Discussion of delegated powers and the Elastic Clause in the Constitution.

Interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause and its implications for federal regulation.

The significance of the 10th Amendment in protecting state powers and individual liberties.

Historical context of federalism debates leading up to the Civil War.

The impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments on federalism and civil rights.

Introduction to layer cake federalism as a post-Civil War paradigm shift.

The evolution of federal power through programs like the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Marble cake federalism and the cooperative efforts between federal and state governments during the New Deal era.

The role of the 14th Amendment in protecting civil rights and limiting state powers.

Creative federalism and the federal government's role in dictating state policies, such as Medicaid and Medicare.

Fiscal federalism and the financial dynamics between federal and state governments.

Competitive federalism and the states' competition for federal funds.

New federalism and the push for devolution, returning power to the states.

Summary of the different eras of federalism and their impact on American governance.

Transcripts

[Music]

now the trouble's with your attitude you

don't pay enough attention in class you

don't do enough work outside of

it you don't know what the word study

means having the slightest

idea hey guys welcome to hip Hughes

history in this installment we're going

to take a look in the next maybe 15

minutes but that's just a number I'm

yelling out really uh the history of

federalism in the United States and

political uh science terms looking at

the Constitution and really how we've

defined it through throughout American

history so we're going to chop it up

nice and easy and serve it up to you on

a plate of political science so if

you're hungry get ready because Hughes

is going to feed you

dinner

din all right gy up here we go so if

you're going to understand like like

stuff today and if we want to talk about

current events whether that be you know

what you want to call Obamacare or

looking at tax cuts or you know whatever

you want to talk about you have to

understand constitutional language right

we can't talk about football unless you

know the NFL rule book yeah so in the

Constitution Federalism is kind of set

up and it's almost like bipolar in the

way that the founders created this

system because you can definitely feel

the influence of people like maybe

Alexander hamlton or um you know a

strong central government kind of

feeling to the document and then you

also you know sometimes I call them trap

doors but you definitely have these

mechanisms which really are going to

make it hard for the central government

to do its job and to limit its job to a

certain respect and really reserve some

of the power for the local entities at

the state you know and local

levels Federalism is the division of

power between the federal and the state

governments you might hear the term dual

federalism and I always think of that

ven diagram you've seen in school a

million times like the one right there

um dual federalism is a nice way to set

up understanding constitutional Federal

ISM because we can really plop you know

on one side the federal side you know

more than a couple terms so you know if

I was going to say things in the federal

uh uh government side of of it when

we're talking about constitutional terms

I would start with like the supremacy

clause I mean the supremacy clause what

article five of The Constitution is

basically like laying down the law that

says when it comes to it when it's mono

V mono when we're playing you know like

that that the federal government is

going to reign supreme over States so

you know if you you hear someone yelling

oh the the state is going to leave the

union because we have a right to you

know I don't want to fight the Civil War

again all I'm going to say is look at

Article Five of the Constitution right

so I'm going to write supremacy clause

up there um definitely you know there's

there's delegated power in the

Constitution right we can look at

another lecture like article one maybe

Section 8 and really like all of the

specific language in the Constitution

which says to the federal government

this is what your job is um one of of

the key terms that I think is important

if you're looking at it from maybe your

Progressive side of things is that very

early in Section 8 it says that Congress

may pass laws to promote the uh the

defense of the country basically and the

general welfare which is also in the

Preamble and you know that idea of

passing laws to promote the general

welfare that's going to mean something

different to uh you know to to to Larry

Curley and mo so you know again

Armageddon language isn't going to do

anybody any good I hear people saying

you're not a real American because you

believe this you're a fascist or you're

a communist you think the government and

we can go back to that original language

and we can have that fight but it's a

fight amongst Americans seeking what's

best for what in their view is public

policy to help America go forward

whether you're conservative or liberal

sometimes you got to tone it down but

nevertheless we have delegated power we

definitely have the elastic clause and

you know if you really want to play word

games the elastic clause summarized

basically says that Congress shall use

all necessary and uh pass laws that are

necessary and proper to do their their

their powers listed and if you see the

listed power of promoting the general

welfare or passing laws for the general

welfare then anything that they they

they um want to do to promote that is a

constitutional language um but we can

definitely have um arguments on you know

both sides of the defense of what's too

much or what's not enough um

nevertheless definitely you know elastic

clause is going to beef up the feds

beef up the feds we also have other

language like the interstate commerce

clause and the interstate commerce

clause gives the federal government the

right to regulate trade amongst the

several States so again you know it's

interpretation you know we always have

to be careful about people oh we have to

do what what they meant well what does

that mean you know is human trafficking

that's trade

right Commerce pollution I don't know

someone's got to regulate you know the

Airways otherwise you have planes crash

into each other um does that extend to

healthcare that's the argument that you

know Healthcare is an important Commerce

and that the federal government in order

to yada yada yada you already know the

argument and I don't care what you

think either way but definitely we have

a lot of power on the federal side

Supremacy the ability to use the elastic

clause specific delegated power um broad

language in the interstate commerce

clause and then ding ding ding we got

the other

side and the other side is really you

know in the 10th Amendment the 10th

amendment in the Bill of Rights which is

pushed through by the anti-feds the

Thomas Jefferson lovers back then um The

Shield what protects you from the

federal government the libertarian idea

the idea of Lock and that government

exists to defend our Liberty that we're

born with that government does not give

you Liberty you're not born and where's

the government where's my Liberty you're

born with liberty and the government's

job is basically to protect that Liberty

at all costs so libertarian Ian the Ron

Paul people out there they get really

excited when we talk about that because

it is the concept of limited government

but we have to see we have these two

sides so in the limited government the

10th Amendment clearly states that um

all powers that are not delegated in the

Federal Constitution reserved for the

states so if it ain't in there you don't

get to do it if uh and then again if we

go into interpretation what does that

mean well if it doesn't say anything

about um I don't know uh trying to think

of something not too controversial but

maybe a little bit controversial maybe

drug legalization I don't think it says

anything in the Constitution about um

The Wacky drugs right so according to

that 10th Amendment that's a reserved

power it's up to the state to decide gay

marriage it's up to the state to decide

right Health Care laws it's up to the

state to decide interstate commerce laws

the federal government reg regulate

trade between the states elastic clause

promoting General Welfare if it ain't in

there you don't do it if it ain't in

there you don't do it but what about

that what about the elastic clause what

about 10th

Amendment this is the political problem

of our time but remember wherever you

stand on whatever side of that fence of

dual federalism right you're definitely

in the Constitutional game and you're an

American remember that unless you're

from another planet and you're an alien

and you're a zombie and you're going to

eat me we're doing more

[Music]

I hope you're hungry because I bought

some layer cake

federalism that's definitely V you're

going to see in a political science

course especially an AP government test

um layer cake Federalism is a visual

analogy to understand that um we have a

shift in a paradigm a way of thinking

about federalism after the Civil War you

remember the Civil War is a war of

federalism right

that you know it definitely freed the

slaves and the Civil War is definitely

about freeing the slaves with the issue

of the Emancipation Proclamation at

least theoretically um but it is not

really fought over freeing the slaves as

you go through that kind of 1820 to 1860

period it's really a fight about the

powers of the federal government um in

determining slavery in the western

states um in class we we teach it you

know in the sense of uh Manifest Destiny

um leads to America pushing forward

right the idea of birthing these new

States and these new states that are

being birthed by America um and the

northwest ordance of 1787 which is the

pregnant Mama idea but once that that

that birth occurs the the the power

between the states and the FEDS comes to

a head because we're arguing about

slavery the southern states seeing

especially those Southern States coming

in having a right you know through the

10th Amendment and through limited

government power to uh decide what to do

about slavery whereas the federal

government especially um the new

Republican party that's coming along by

the 1850s as the Free Soil Party is

seeing that land as capitalist land as

free labor land and uh slavery is

definitely not good for you know uh

creating jobs I think it does the

opposite so nevertheless it's that that

conflict between state power and federal

power that is compromised throughout the

19th century uh Missouri Compromise 1850

Compromise a popular sovereignty the

Supreme Court Dre Scot all that stuff

leads to aead in the Civil War but at

the end of the day who won who

won the federal government so therefore

if we see um it as layer cake it's kind

of like a a larger stack on top and then

you have a shorter stack on the bottom

and they're separated meaning that

there's no intermingling between Powers

which is going to come down the road but

this lay cake idea is bolstered by the

passage or the forc passage wherever you

want to think about it as the 13th 14th

and 15th amendment and you know we know

13th is abolished slavery 15th is the

black male vote but it's that 14th

amendment that needs to be understood

and it is in the Constitution and people

get upset and they it's not a real

Amendment because they did it this way

and that way and it doesn't matter all

right it doesn't matter it's in there

now so the words no State shall deny its

citizens equal protection and due

process under the law is meant and

designed to protect those freed men down

south from their own state governments

so the 14th is like a mitigator on the

10th which says basically look you can

do what you want in the 10th Amendment

but if it interferes with a Federal

Protection of rights which is the

concept of the federal government

protecting rights right the Bill of

Rights concept um that uh the state

can't violate that so layer cake is that

power that has been gotten by the

federal government that's really not

going to be able to be used effectively

now from uh what 1867 to 1877 it is used

effectively to a certain degree with

forced reconstruction military

occupation African-Americans um serving

in the legislature and voting having

rights but once uh you know Hayes is

elected in 1876 and that election over

tillen um sometimes called the Great

betrayal amongst afri Americans and

Scholars that the military it leaves it

makes that that deal um with with uh

Hayes that he can have the presidency

the northern Republican but that

basically reconstruction is over and

then as those troops go north um the

14th amendment's power kind of goes with

them in class I've explained it as if

the 14th Amendment is a tiger which is

meant to prowl around the southern

states and protect the liberty of its

citizens from its own state government

that now it's a toothless tiger meow it

has no power and if you didn't believe

that that py versus Ferguson is almost

like dental surgery they're just going

to pluck those teeth out with the word

seate is equal really deflating the 14th

Amendment so it doesn't have the power

that it was intended to do um which is

ironic because in The Slaughterhouse

Cases that we learned about what did the

Supreme Court say in what the 1860s

and70s it said that the 14th Amendment

wasn't for corporations it wasn't to uh

designed to protect people U other than

African-Americans so now they have a

chance to live out those words and they

Boogle it Boogle might not be a word you

might have to Google

boogle all right so that's layer cake

federalism right um uh by the by the

1900 era 1910s 1920s we do have a

stronger federal government absolutely

we have the Progressive Era and um we

have all that going on and the expansion

and uh the 16th Amendment and I know

some of you Libertarians just threw up

on your lap that that was passed

graduated income tax we have the square

deal we do have Federal programs but at

a federal level only so when Teddy

Roosevelt passes the Pure Food and Drug

Act it's a federal government only

program designed to in um to keep uh

products safe uh when you have

conservation efforts uh or you have even

going back um to the uh concept of uh

regulating the railroads with the

Sherman Antitrust Act um and the heurn

ACT these are at a federal level not

interfering really with state power to a

large degree there's some interference

but definitely not to to a large degree

so um I'm going to go bake my other cake

I have a different kind of cake to feed

to you right now so I'm going to go get

it I hope you enjoyed layer cake I think

that it needs some sauce some

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

rice

dessert bam marble cake federalism how

tasty does that sound um layer cake

federalism changes with the election of

um uh FDR in 1932 in the New Deal

sometimes this is called cooperative

federalism um because the state and the

FED are working together in in a

collaborative effort to deal with the

Great Depression problems that occurred

um after the stock market crash of 1929

and the onset of the of the Dust Bowl so

in marble cake federalism you have a

bleed through you have programs that are

sometimes developed at the federal level

maybe take the TVA the Tennessee Valley

Authority um and the money to um coming

you know through the revenue system from

the FED to the state but the state is

running the program the state is in

charge of you know hiring an employment

and uh maintaining it and regulating and

doing those types of activities but the

idea and the money and the direction in

a large degree is coming from the

federal government well you have social

security um SSA passed in what 1935 1936

something like that you know the Wagner

Act and collective bargaining rights um

you have the CCC which is run through

the states an unemployment program with

the dollars flowing through the federal

level um and other programs that are

probably temporary fixes for the New

Deal um but nevertheless it's that bleed

through and with World War II you have

even more bleed through if the New Deal

didn't solve the Great Depression I

think World War II did um which is the

same concept of the federal government

pumping money um through a progressive

income tax system and sometimes deficit

spending in order to balloon the economy

and um stimulate growth but nevertheless

you do have that bleed through whether

it's rationing or the GI bill in World

War II or even if you want to go into

the 1950s and talk about Republican

power such as Dwight Eisenhower the

passage of the interstate um highway

system and getting huge huge road

construction and infrastructure spending

from Washington flowing through the

states so that's called marble cake

right new deal right 1932 maybe 1964

somewhere around there maybe 68 I don't

know I got to come back and tell you in

a second and I hope that you enjoyed

that so remember dual federalism leads

to layer cake federalism reconstru ction

14th Amendment um that transfers into

marble cake federalism with the election

of the New Deal Democrat FDR and gidy up

we're getting there we going to get

[Music]

there okay here we go the federal

government's going to really expand its

power even more under lvj the war on

poverty in the 1960s and now we don't

want to get too much into conern

conservative and liberal ideology and

equality of opportunity versus equality

of outcome um but the idea is is that we

have huge problems that maybe the states

are um dealing with effectively in some

states we have very high literacy

literacy rates um we have very high uh

um infant death mortality rates and

hunger rates poverty rates um as well as

civil rights abuses so basically this is

really where the federal government is

going to act less as a partner and

cooperative and more as a parent

dictating to you know guess in the

analogy the state is is the you know one

of the the children um to deal with its

problems in a certain way and definitely

for conservatives this is too much

government this is big government they

see is intruding on Liberty whereas

liberals or progressives would argue

that this is dealing with equality of of

opportunity that we are we are designing

a program that needs to be designed to

fill the holes that Lair capitalism is

created but nevertheless you can yell

and scream all you want I don't care I'm

on the other side of the camera um we

just want to get the major ideas of this

down so creative federalism can be seen

in a big program like Medicaid or

Medicare where basically the federal

government now is going to design a

program with rules and with money that

is going to basically dictate to the

state that you have to do this and you

have to do it this way and you have to

pay some of it as well so Medicaid which

some of the money comes from the federal

government is sometimes referred to as

an unfunded mandate it's me like you

know telling you um look at you are

going to go out tonight and you better

be dressed to the tea I want you in a

tux and I want you to be there by 6:00

we're going to have a good time you

better go pay for that tux now that's

the idea that you have these uninsured

sick people in your state you are

responsible for them they live in your

state so therefore in order for Public

Policy to work effectively so children

can be healthy and they can go to school

and um they can have opportunity we are

demanding that you provide these poor

children with access to health care and

we help you pay for it but it's your

poor children so you're going to pay for

some of it too so that's called creative

federalism but definitely Medicare

Medicaid the war on poverty food stamp

programs um designed to go after poverty

rates and although we are going to get

more of a bloated government you get

more bureaucracy absolutely you get more

instances of you know corrupting power

and those sorts of things you go Google

the poverty rates from 1960 to 1970

they're different people people have

food in their bellies and there's more

people that have some type of

substainable housing that um are safe

that aren't getting diseases that are

birthing healthy children um so whatever

side of the fence you are on we're going

to keep going because that's creative

federalism all right um we have like

three more areas to cover um one is

Fiscal Federal ISM which is really kind

of the whole Gauntlet of the financial

side of things that we'll summarize

quickly for you but um the next in order

is competitive federalism competitive

federalism and now I'll go to the last

one too in this small section which is

new Federalism is really um a concept

that is devolutionary rather than really

evolutionary concepts of growing the

federal government Devolution means the

shrinking of so decentralizing might be

something that you hear taking power

away from the center and putting it back

to the localities um you are going to

have um still like you know programs

that the states have to um to do um but

a lot of times it's it's kind of

voluntary with strings attached these

are called crossover requirements so for

instance um I might have huge amounts of

money that are available for you to

fixure highways um so that's all good

you can have the money you just have to

have a 55 mph speed limit um that would

be an example of a crossover requirement

in competitive federalism with the

states are really competing for federal

money not only um in that sense but also

when we do fiscal federalism in a second

competing it for Grants designing

programs coming up with their own ideas

in order to get that all elusive Federal

money in order to implement those ideas

so competitive federalism is generally

associated with Richard Nixon and uh

this is really flowing into the first

era when we're going to shrink the size

of the federal government soon not yet

but we're getting there um but we're

we're definitely finding ways to give

the states more responsibility in a

certain degree over their matters um and

that's competitive federalism so let's

just run right into New Deal New

Deal new federalism which is definitely

Devolution new Federalism is

characterized by returning power to the

states and shrinking Federal programs

Ronald Reagan is the Quint essential new

Federalist saying that you know the

states don't need to be told what to do

that the federal government wasn't

designed to do these programs in the

first place um and that we need to

return the power to the states so you

see large tax cuts um shrinking the

revenue coming into the federal

government which means that it's not

going to be able to pay for these

programs um Reagan also increased

defense spending so he definitely didn't

come out balance neutral in fact I think

the deficit increased rather largely

under Reagan but nevertheless we are

trying to return power to the states I

mean this has continued all the way out

through the 90s um the new uh the new

the Dem R Bill Clinton sometimes called

a new democrat because some of his ideas

are devolutionary like the um welfare

reform act that was passed what in the

95 996 after the contract of America um

basically um trying to shrink welfare

and forcing people to go back to to go

to work in order to um get benefits so

um Devolution is the big idea we don't

have a lot of time to go into all of the

laws in the 80s and the 90s we'd be here

forever but definitely if you can get

that word down Devolution and you're

going associate it with the term new

federalism a new way of thinking about

the circles of shrinking that Circle and

growing the 10th Amendment Circle a

little bit um and uh that's probably I'm

all going to do right now we're going to

do some fiscal federalism which is ch-

ching and then we're going to say

goodbye and good night and goodbye and

[Music]

farewell okay guys Nitty Gritty man this

YouTube time is crazy we can't be doing

20 minute lectures fiscal Federalism is

the term that's used to denot that

you're talking about um obviously the

money side of federalism how that cash

flow Works between the federal

government and the state level so most

often in in um creative federalism um

even marble cake federalism you really

have what's called formula grants you

have grants that are designed to deal

with problems so the percentage of poor

children that you have in your state um

determines the amount of money that you

get to feed those poor children for a

food stamp program that's a formula

grant um as we get into competitive

federalism you do have competitive

grants which are programs that are

designed to see who can come up with the

best idea in order to get the money um

this is really the approach the Obama

Administration is taken with education

with race to the top um basically saying

these are the standards there's a whole

bunch of money um come up with an idea

to get to these standards and we'll give

you the money but you have to do this

this and this and this to do it so

States uh come up with programs they

line their programs to Federal

requirements and they try to get the

money and um from a federal government

standpoint they see is raising the

standards is you know trying to get

everybody to do a better job to get here

and at a state level you have a lot of

resistance where teachers I don't know

maybe someone I know uh things that

maybe this is telling teachers that you

have to teach a certain way in order to

get money which sounds like blackmail

but any way you think about it that's

definitely competitive federalism

um new federalism brings new terminology

so basically you're going to ditch the

formula grant which is seen as a handout

or just giving money away for really

doing the same thing over and over and

over again which is not succeeding in

solving the problem and having States

develop their own PR uh programs and not

having them compete the money but just

saying this is your money to begin with

so we'll give you a block grant like it

says a big block of money and you spend

the money the way that you want to at

the end of the day the the battle is

between whether not um the the states

are dealing with problems in ways that

um create um opportunity for all of

their citizens that's the federal

government's argue that if you're going

to allow 15 million of your citizens to

not have health care and to you know

raise cost for everybody because of that

and to uh basically drag the system down

because you can't deal with that problem

then we're going to deal with that

problem and from the state perspective

they're basically saying you know this

is our 10th Amendment right to deal with

a problem from the way that we see fit

and that you are um basically coming in

and mandating how we should deal with

the problem which is an encroachment on

our Liberty which you were designed to

protect but wait a minute we're

protecting the liberty of the people

that you have't protected it's a crazy

game of politics but definitely you can

go into the Obama Administration

definitely bigger federal government

programs um which are designed like

creative federalism to attack problems

um but not to the extent of the New Deal

definitely and definitely not to the

extent of of of of LBJ and those types

of programs um I don't want to get

controversial but we'll wrap up by

saying you know the progressive dream

the liberal dream the Democratic dream

is for government to have one big

government Health Care program that

everybody belongs to that gets good

services and you know that doesn't

necessarily have to be how you see it

but that's what they want they settled

on allowing private insurers to do it

but mandate that everybody has to buy it

in order to drive down costs um but

that's the approach um and again the

Republican side says that's too big

government and the Democrats say it's

probably not big enough but we have to

deal with the problem but either way

we're fighting about federalism we're

not fighting about communism we're not

fighting about fascists on the right

trying to you know dictate to the world

how you live your life um so the

Armageddon talk needs to be turned down

um and we can definitely talk talk about

these political debates um without

trying to get too partisan but really

trying to understand the political

science behind it the terminology and

the Constitution and uh whatever else

you crazy kids out there in Dreamland

want to know that's all I got federalism

baby see you