Federal and State, State and Local
In the United States, the federal government and state governments exist in a balanced tension of shared powers known as federalism, "a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government" (Federalism, n.d., par. 1). Historically, the loose confederation of states and weak federal government set up by the Articles of Confederation was eventually recognized to be ineffective. This recognition led to the Constitutional Convention, our U.S. Constitution, and a stronger national government which operates by virtue of the powers granted to it by the Constitution. All powers which are not granted to the federal government and not prohibited by the Constitution are reserved to the state level of government or the people. Generally speaking, the "U.S. Constitution grants the federal government with power over issues of national concern, while the state governments, generally, have jurisdiction over issues of domestic concern" (Federalism, par. 2).
The word "federalism" does not appear in the Constitution. How did this concept arise? Click the following link to find out.
http://www.pbs.org/tpt/constitution-usa-peter-sagal/federalism/#.Uqz5NfvVl7o
Federal powers include levying and collecting taxes, coining money and regulating its value, and establishing post offices, among others. The link below outlines these enumerated powers—that is, powers specific to the federal government.
https://legaldictionary.net/enumerated-powers/
Certain powers are shared by both the federal government and state government. These are known as concurrent powers. For a look at some of the powers that are not shared—that is, powers exclusive to the federal level and to the state level of government—click the link below. This link also includes a list of concurrent powers, which include taxation, highway building, and making and enforcing laws.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0877699.html
The proper role of each level of government and their relationship have been debated since our country's earliest history.
