Introduction

  • Why are postal workers federal employees while teachers are employed by states?
  • If you moved to Tennessee to attend high school, would the curriculum be the same?
  • How can public universities charge out-of-state students higher tuition than in-state students?

These are questions all related to the same subject – federalism!

When the members of the Constitutional Convention met to create a new government, they agreed a more powerful federal government was necessary. However, they also knew that individual states needed certain powers related to issues that might vary, depending on the citizens residing in that region of the country.

The government of the United States is built around the concept of federalism – the division of power between the states and the federal government. Within this system there are shared, divided, and denied powers. This system has evolved over time and been the source of political conflicts between the federal government and the states. In some cases, the court system has made the final decision concerning who has the authority to implement certain laws according to the U.S. Constitution.

Understanding federalism is essential for the AP Exam.

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to...

  • CON-2.A Explain how societal needs affect the constitutional allocation of power between the national and state governments.

Essential Knowledge

  • CON-2.A.1 The exclusive and concurrent powers of the national and state governments help explain the negotiations over the balance of power between the two levels.
  • CON-2.A.2 The distribution of power between federal and state governments to meet the needs of society changes, as reflected by grants, incentives, and aid programs, including federal revenue sharing, mandates, categorical grants, and block grants.

Enduring Understandings

  • CON-2 Federalism reflects the dynamic distribution of power between national and state governments.

Required Foundational Documents

  • The U.S. Constitution

The above objectives correspond with the AP US Government and Politics standards: CON-2.A.