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MicrosoftWhat Are Some of the Strengths and Weaknesses of our Federal System?
These include the following topics: the allocation of authority among different levels of government; the regulation of commerce; the balance of powers; dual federalism; shared federalism, the commerce clause and the increased power of the national government; the impact of Supreme Court decisions; the impact of the New Deal; political appointment versus popular election; proportional representation; direct citizen participation at the local, state, and national levels; judicial appointments versus popular elections; the relationship between state and local governments; and state control of electoral systems.Introduction
Section 1: What Are the Major Differences between Unitary, Confederal, and Federal Systems of Government?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 2: Why Did the Framers Adopt a Federal System?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 3: How Does Our Federal System Reflect a Balance between a Confederal and a Unitary System?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 4: How Does the Constitution Balance the Roles of the National and State Governments?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 5: How Did the Powers of the National and State Governments Overlap under the Original Constitution, and How Has the Relationship Changed?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 6: How Did the Concept of “Dual Federalism” and McCulloch v. Maryland Affect the Relationship between National and State Governments?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 7: How Does the Case of Cooley v. Board of Wardens (1852) Illustrate the Dual Federalism of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 8: How Has the Supreme Court’s Changing Definition of the Commerce Clause Increased the Power of the National Government?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 9: What Caused the Change from Dual Federalism to a More Shared, Cooperative Federalism?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 10: How Did the New Deal Affect the Relationship between National and State Governments?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 11: How Was the Commerce Clause Used to Increase the Powers of Congress over the State Governments?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 12: What Steps Have Been Taken to Return Power to the States?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 13: What Similarities and Differences Are There between the Executive Branches at National and State Levels?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 14: What Are Some Similarities and Differences between the Legislative Branches at National and State Levels?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 15: What Opportunities Are There for Direct Citizen Participation at State Levels That Are Not Available at the National Level?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 16: What Are Some Similarities and Differences between the Judicial Systems at National and State Levels?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 17: What Is the Relationship between State and Local Government?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 18: What Control Do States Have over Their Electoral Systems?
- Discussion and research questions
Section 19: What Are Some of the Differences between Federal Systems in the United States and Other Countries?
- Discussion and research questions
