State and Federal Government

Federal and
State Powers

UNI T 4 .8

Lesson Overview

• Students Will Be Able To:

Identify federal powers, state powers, and limitations on government powers.

Identify reasons the federal and state governments sometimes share powers.

Distinguish between dual and cooperative federalism.

Evaluate whether the federal, state or both levels of government should hold certain powers.

• Vocabulary:
• Concurrent Power
• Cooperative Federalism
• Dual Federalism

​Let's review a concept from yesterday....

Multiple Choice

Federalism is....

• a system of government that divides power between state and federal governments

• something that sounds delicious

• a word that is familiar to me but I just can't remember what it means

Multiple Choice

Which of the following lines of the Constitution relate to federalism?

• 
  “No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties [taxes] on Imports or Exports . . .”

• 
  “. . . the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.”

• “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States . . .”

Essential Question- How do federal and state powers relate?

Powers of the Federal Government...What can they do?

∙ We have already covered that the Constitution is the blueprint of the US and it gives
some powers solely to the Federal Government

•The Power to Print Money

•The power to Declare War

•The Power to Maintain a Military

•The Power to Enact National Taxes

Why do you think these powers are given to the
Federal Government?

Powers of the State Governments

∙ Remember that States can make decisions about matters not specifically mentioned in the Constitution (the 10th Amendment)
∙ Whatever the states do though, it can’t contradict the Constitution (Supremacy Clause)
∙ Powers of the States-

1. The Power to carry out state/local elections

2. The Power to establish public schools

3. The Power to handle marriages/divorces

4. The Power to set and enforce traffic laws

Concurrent Powers

∙ So sometimes the Federal and State governments need to work together and help one another
∙ Concurrent Powers- powers shared between the federal government and state government
∙ Examples of Concurrent Powers-

1. Taxation

2. Passing and Enforcing Laws

3. Public Welfare

4. Transportation Networks

Multiple Select

Why do the federal and state governments have some concurrent powers? (2 answers are correct)

• The federal government can effectively apply one state's laws to another state

• Some federal incentives can be handled most effectively by authorities closest to communities

• State governments cannot have powers until the federal government grants them those powers.

• Federal funding helps direct money to states that need it most

Putting It All Together
∙ Concurrent powers are related to a system called Cooperative

Federalism- powers and policy assignments are shared between states
and the federal government
∙ In this case they are blended (like a marble cake)
∙ Dual Federalism- the powers of both the state and federal
government are separate from one another (like a layer cake)
∙ President FDR promoted more cooperative federalism to help the
country out of the Great Depression
∙ President Reagan promoted the idea of dual federalism by trying to
limit the actions of the federal government

Dual Federalism examples:
Remember- Clear separation of powers
The FEDERAL government has the sole power over foreign policy
The STATE governments have the sole power over issuing driver's licenses

​Cooperative Federalism Examples:
Highway system- Interstate highways (shared by federal and state governments), other roadways are shared by state and local governments. All can receive funds from federal government.

Essential Question- How do federal and state powers relate?

∙ The Constitution gives certain rights to the federal government and
denies all levels of government certain powers.

∙ State governments handle matters the Constitution does not give to
or deny the federal government. Laws vary from state to state.

∙ State governments handle matters the Constitution does not give to
or deny the federal government. Laws vary from state to state.

∙ Dual federalism keeps federal and state matters clearly separated,
while cooperative federalism has the two levels of government work
together with intermingled powers.