Federalism as practiced by the United States is a system of government where different regions or states are subjected by the constitution to submit some of their authorities to a central government that administer this on an exclusive or implied authoritative list. The states/regional governments have concurrent or delegated powers to share with the federal government and also have reserved residual power places where they administer. Hence, this division of power also relate to how fiscal policies in the state are being administered. In the case of revenue sharing, the federal government and states generate revenues or are allocated funds based on how the constitution specifies.
The United States federalism has existed for over 200 year, and since this period the federal system of governance has passed through many changes. While, some certain features of US federalism have been retained over the years, most have metamorphosed and undergone modifications to meet the exigencies and necessities of contemporary realities in modern democracy.
First, it is germane to state that United States federalism has maintained its characteristics of dual federalism cooperation among the federating units. Dual federalism entails that the system still recognizes the different levels of authorities and powers allocated by the constitutions to the different levels of governments. Also, to some extent, there is a reduction in political cooperation to keep the country going; amidst divergent views, political and personal interests.
One significant change in the United States federalism is that coercion has been introduced in the manner in which the federal government wants its policy accepted and enforced. Coercive federalism in contemporary US democracy can be traced from the 1960s till modern times, where there is a change from the cooperative federalism. The changes brought by coercion is that federal government policies are now seen as persons-based, rather than interests for different levels of government and their areas of constituent jurisdictions. This coercive federalism has made the federal government to assume more national features than it used to. For instance, the prevailing system has made states and local authorities, even courts, to be responsive to federal institutions like the national electoral body, elected personalities at the federal level, interest groups etc. It is seen that less responsiveness are sometimes given to state and local governments.
Other changes in the country’s federalism as mitigated by contemporary challenges include the shortfall in fund for federal mandates which arose from the economic crunch witnessed from 2008 in the global economic meltdown. Also, some constitutional issues have surfaced since the 1937. The apex court has in some instances stopped the Congress from proceeding in spending money for the welfare of the generality of Americans.
The United States adopted the federal system of government in order to meet the divergent interests of people from the different 52 American states and their local areas. Hence, where political interests differs in racial representations, needs, social affiliations etc, there is the need to have a central government that will coordinate these diverse interests and implement national policies that will keep the country seamlessly afloat. Hence, the creation of US federalism by George Washington in 1787, in the famous Philadelphia convention, was moved in order to establish a country that is more unified and diverse interests well coordinated for harmonious coexistence. There were some identified lapses in the Article governing the American Confederation before the 1787 Constitutions. To fix these lapses a federal system of government was proffered by the Constitution that exists till date.
I foresee United States federalism becoming more centralised; with the federal government having more influence over states and it assuming more national stance. The ‘coercive federalism’, as aforementioned, will continue to go a long in making the federal government a force that would attract more power as other levels of government and state institutions will continue to be more responsive to it.
References
Katz, Ellis. (1997). ‘American Federalism, Past, Present and Future’, Journal on Issues of democracy, April.
