Distribution of Power within the Federal System - 825 Words

Distribution of Power within the Federal System (Essay Sample) Content: Name:Institution:Course Title:Instructor:Date:Distribution of Power within the Federal SystemThe federal system of government of United States consists of three types of powers, which include enumerated, reserved, and concurrent powers. They are derived from the various ways in which functions are split between the national government and the state government.Enumerated Powers or delegated powersThese are powers delegated only to the federal government and not the region or state governments (Khan 50). These powers are outlined in Articles I, II, III in the sections 8, 2 and 2 respectively by the United States constitution. The Elastic Clause also referred to as the Necessary and Proper Clause made it possible for the national government to expand its enumerated powers to suit its desires. The federal government has the enumerated powers such as foreign and in state trade regulation, declaration of war, citizenship and immigration, military, and right to impose taxes. Reserved PowersThese are powers given or retained by the states. The state exercises control over all matters that are not handled by the national government (Annenberg Learner). These powers can only be acted upon only by one level of government. In the Federal system of United States, the powers are defined by the Tenth Amendment, Article V, Clause 2 of Section 1 in Article II, and Section 4 of Article I. The main activities or matters that the state governments carry out include licensing, police protection, education, and regulation of other corporations or individual activities with the aim of safeguarding and promoting convenience, morals, safety, welfare, and health of the public.Concurrent PowersThese are powers held by both the national and the state government. The two levels of government can exercise these powers simultaneously (W.W. Norton and Company). Any of the two levels of government has control over and can act on matters delineated by these powers. Some of the ma in matters that fall under concurrent powers include borrowing, courts establishment, legislating and implementation, taxation, and transportation.However, Section 9 and 10 of Article 1 describes powers that do not fall under any level of government since they are denied from the federal and state governments.Major Areas of Federalism History in the United StatesSince the inception of federalism, the two levels of governments have been in constant power conflicts. This is in individual efforts to assert their authority and exercise their sovereignty. As a result, there have been several different types of federation since its inception. The first form of federalism was known as dual federalism which existed between the years 1789 to 1937 where there was a clear demarcation between the national and state governments (Annenberg Learner). In this system, the state government wielded more power as it was tasked with governance while the national government engaged in promoting trade.Coo perative federalism also referred to as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"marble cable federalismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ replaced dual federalism in 1937 to 1960. This involved functions sharing, and partnerships between the national and state government. Picket fence or creative federalism followed. It existed during the period ranging from 1960 to 1980, and was characterized by crosscutting regulations and increased load on the state government (W.W. Norton and Company). During this period, the federal government appeared to be more dominant than the state government and it would at times impose regulations without providing funds.Currently, the system of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"new federalismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ succeeded c...