How does our federalist system work

One of the Anti-Federalist critiques of the Constitution was that the presidency was a disguised monarchy that, in collaboration with the Senate, would rule the country tyrannically.

The Federalists countered that, combined with separation of powers, the distribution of authority between the state and national governments would prevent executive power grabs. However, over time, the executive branch at each level of government has grown in size and authority.

A cycle of reform in state government has marked the past decades, prompted by a concerted effort to strengthen historically weak governorships. This transfer of power to the executive is heightened in times of crisis. At the onset of an emergency, citizens look to executive officials to direct government action. Additionally, as a result of their deliberative nature, the legislative and judicial branches tend to play a more reactive role. At the state level, only 29 state legislatures have passed legislation relating to the coronavirus, while every state governor has taken executive action.

Even with an expanded executive branch , the national government simply does not have the resources to do everything it wants. As a result, it increasingly turns to the states to carry out important governmental tasks. Such reliance further develops and strengthens executive branch actors at the state level. This is particularly true in healthcare, where lines between state and federal policy are quite blurred. How politicians engage this complicated relationship between the state and federal government is strategic—federalism has become an important tool in political negotiations.

National political figures enact vague policies that allow for variation in state implementation, claiming credit for acting on important issues while shifting the responsibility for figuring out the details to the states. Back to top Article Information.

Public Health Law. Carolina Academic Press; ;, Federalism and Health Policy. Urban Institute Press; What is federalism in healthcare for? PubMed Google Scholar. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health department governance: public health professionals gateway. Updated October 23, Accessed April 13, Governmental public health powers during the COVID pandemic: stay-at-home orders, business closures, and travel restrictions. Published online April 2, Political participation in the least healthy place in America: examining the political determinants of health in the Mississippi delta.

Understanding the relationship between Medicaid expansions and hospital closures. Limit characters. Limit 25 characters. Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Identify all potential conflicts of interest that might be relevant to your comment. Err on the side of full disclosure. Yes, I have potential conflicts of interest. No, I do not have potential conflicts of interest. Limit characters or approximately words. The following information is required and must be completed in order to submit a comment:.

Thank You. Your comment submission was successful. Please allow up to 2 business days for review, approval, and posting. Access your subscriptions. Access through your institution. Add or change institution. Rent article Rent this article from DeepDyve. This includes the power to tax, build roads, and create lower courts. Please help us improve our site! No thank you.

LII Wex Federalism. Federalism Primary tabs Overview Federalism is a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government. Article I, Section 8 Article I , Section 8 of the Constitution describes specific powers which belong to the federal government. Tenth Amendment The Tenth Amendment reserves powers to the states, as long as those powers are not delegated to the federal government.