AP Gov | 1.9 Federalism in Action | NEW!

Summary

The video discusses the advantages and disadvantages of federalism, which divides power between federal, state, and local governments. Advantages include more opportunities for political participation, states creating policies tailored to their needs, and states acting as 'laboratories of democracy' to experiment with new policies. Disadvantages include difficulty in implementing unified national policies and concerns over states' rights being used to perpetuate discrimination. The video also touches on 'new federalism,' a push to return more power to the states, and concludes with a reminder about an upcoming test and review materials.

Takeaways

• 📜 Federalism divides power between federal, state, and local governments, offering both advantages and disadvantages.
• 👥 One advantage of federalism is increased opportunities for political participation at various levels—local, state, and national.
• 🌍 States can create policies tailored to their unique needs, like Florida's hurricane policies or Colorado's snowstorm policies.
• ⚖️ Federalism allows states to act independently on issues where there is no national consensus, like the recent return of abortion laws to states.
• 🇺🇸 The federal government can impose uniform policies when necessary, such as in foreign policy or nationwide laws.
• 🧪 States can serve as 'laboratories of democracy,' experimenting with social and economic policies that others can observe—such as the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington.
• 🛑 A disadvantage of federalism is the difficulty in implementing unified policies, such as varying education policies across states.
• ⚔️ States' rights have historically been used to perpetuate discrimination, and some argue larger republics protect minority rights better than smaller states.
• 🏛️ States' rights supporters believe that most powers should be reserved for the states under the 10th Amendment, preferring local decision-making over federal control.
• 📈 Despite efforts to return power to states (like devolution under Nixon and Reagan), the long-term trend shows the federal government becoming stronger over the last 200 years.

Q & A

What is federalism?

Federalism is the division of power between the federal, state, and local governments, allowing each level to have distinct responsibilities and authority.

What is one major advantage of federalism?

One major advantage of federalism is that it provides multiple opportunities for political participation. Citizens can engage at the local, state, and federal levels, giving them more chances to influence policy.

How does federalism benefit states with unique needs?

Federalism allows states to create policies tailored to their specific needs. For example, Florida can develop hurricane evacuation policies, while Colorado focuses on snowstorm policies, without interference from other states.

What is meant by the term 'laboratories of democracy'?

The term 'laboratories of democracy' refers to the idea that states can experiment with new policies without affecting the entire country. If successful, other states or the federal government may adopt these policies.

What example does the script give to illustrate 'laboratories of democracy'?

The script uses the legalization of recreational marijuana by Colorado and Washington in 2012 as an example of 'laboratories of democracy,' where other states observed the outcomes before deciding to legalize it themselves.

What is one disadvantage of federalism mentioned in the script?

A disadvantage of federalism is that it can make it harder for the federal government to implement a unified policy across all states, leading to inconsistencies, such as in education policies.

How have states' rights been used negatively in U.S. history?

States' rights have been used historically and contemporarily to perpetuate discrimination, as seen in efforts to bypass federal policies designed to protect minority interests.

What is 'new federalism' and who were its key proponents?

'New federalism' refers to a return to more distinct lines of responsibility between federal and state governments. It was advocated by Nixon and further developed by Reagan, who sought to give more power back to the states.

How has the balance of power between federal and state governments shifted over the last 200 years?

Over the last 200 years, the federal government has grown significantly stronger, while state governments have generally become weaker, despite recent efforts like 'new federalism' to reverse this trend.

Why is the federal government sometimes needed to enforce uniform policies?

The federal government is needed to enforce uniform policies in areas where consistency across states is essential, such as foreign policy, where individual states acting independently would cause confusion and inefficiency.