Fiscal Federalism

806 Words2 Pages

The role of the federal government in the United States has expanded drastically over the past century. In 1776, the federal government’s purpose, as outlined by the Declaration of Independence, was to protect individual’s unalienable rights and freedoms. According to the moral philosopher, Adam Smith, government in 1776 had three functions to provide: national defense, an administration of justice, and certain public goods (Lipford). The specific, clearly defined, and limiting functions Smith discusses are not the limits for the modern American government.
Tragedies such as The Great Depression and September 11th, 2001 created a need for the central government to expand purpose and take on tasks previously held by the states; as a result, …show more content…

Both regulations are clearly powers held by states and localities, however the central government threatened to remove privileges, typically funding, if the states did not agree to the desired regulations. The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of fiscal federalism, as long as certain criteria are met. States must be able to freely decide whether to participate or not without coercion from the federal government. Also, cooperative programs must be recognized as contractual, meaning the federal government 's ability to alter the programs is …show more content…

With a unitary government, only one curriculum and education system would be available for American citizens despite coming from diverse backgrounds. The practice of federalism provides a wide range of systems and schools to choose from, as a reflection of the variety of cultures, beliefs, and languages represented by American citizens. Federalism is commonly based off majority rule, so many states ' opinions and needs are not listened to. As best depicted by the 4,567,429 Californians that voted for Bush, whose vote had no impact on the outcome of the 2000 Presidential Election. Conversely, the 180,068 citizens of Delaware that voted for Al Gore actually influenced the results of the election. Also, individual laws with states may be considered illegal at the national level. For instance, marijuana use is considered illegal by the federal government, but has been legalized or decriminalized in many

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