Uncover the intricacies of American politics with our meticulously crafted notes from Warwick's PAIS Department's module, "Politics of the U.S.A. (PO207)." Delve into every facet of American political life, from the workings of Congress to the dynamics of the media and gender's role in shaping the ...
Week Eight – Federalism and the Federal Bureaucracy
Why is the Federal bureaucracy often so heavily criticised and should it be controlled and
reformed?
How far does the President’s effective management of the Federal bureaucracy determine
the success of his administration?
Why do presidential attempts to reduce the size and strength of the Federal bureaucracy
generally fail?
What, if anything, will be the long-term impact of Donald Trump's attacks on the
bureaucracy and bureaucrats in the Executive Branch?
Is there a 'deep state' that really runs the American government irrespective of who is
President?
Reading:
David McKay: Chapter IV ‘Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations’ in American
Politics and Society.
- The defining feature of federalism is that of ‘dual sovereignty or sharing of powers
between state and central governments’:
- Under federalism, each level of government is assumed to be dominant in at least
one policy area.
- Normally, the federal government would be responsible for defence and foreign
affairs. States would be able to control things such as education, law and order.
- Those who are opposed to federalism on the basis of social reform argue that it is
silly to assume all resources can be allocated the same when some states, such as
Alabama experience widespread poverty, whilst Connecticut enjoy prosperity.
However, in recent years, ethnic minorities have praised federalism, and believe
central governments are too spendthrift and insensitive. Advantages of federalism
include:
, Week Eight – Federalism and the Federal Bureaucracy
1) Local and regional economic and political characteristics can be preserved
2) Government is ‘closer to the people’
3) Central power can be limited by ensuring that the administration of a whole
range of domestic policies are conducted at the state and local level
4) Tailored to the needs of individual states
- In constitutional terms, little is said precisely about federalism and the specific
powers given to congress. Everything is a bit vague. For example, Congress is given
the power to regulate interstate commerce, but what exactly does this mean
specifically? In strict constitutional terms, state are guaranteed four things: (a)
equal representation in the senate: Article 1, Section 3; (b) the right to
jurisdictional integrity: Article 4, Section 3; (c) the right to republican form of
government: Article 4, Section 4; (d) protection against invasion and domestic
violence: Article 4, Section 4.
- When the Constitution was written, in the wake of the Civil War, sharing authority
between central and constituent states was a natural compromise. Federalism seeks
to solve the following problem: tension between central authority and local
authority.
- The 1929 Great Depression and FDR’s New Deal altered the course of federalism in
the USA. After 1933, the federal government began to legislate in a variety of new
areas, from social security to public works.
- Federalism has also been a key cause of conflict, particularly regarding civil rights.
For example, in 1963, Governor of Alabama George Wallace sought to maintain his
inaugural promise: ‘Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever’.
He sought to end the desegregation of schools, so on June 11 th, he stood in the
doorway to the auditorium at the University of Alabama to prevent two African
American students from entering. This directly opposed Brown v Board of
Education, 1954. JFK, in response, as forced to issue Executive Order 11111. This
federalised the Alabama National Guard, who commanded Wallace to step aside.
The Transformation of the Federal Role, 1930s-70s:
- The main two sources of federal power growth were economic depression, and war.
- Public spending as a % of GDP increased from 10% in 1929, to 23% in 1949. The
Great Depression saw an increased number of welfare programmes adopted by
Democrat Presidents, namely LBJ and his ‘Great Society’ plan, which aimed to totally
eliminate poverty and racial injustice. LVJ introduced major spending programmes to
address education, medical care, urban problems, rural poverty and transportation.
The 1970s: Nixon and Ford:
- This era of Republican dominion was characterised by war and cuts to public
spending. Nixon made many attempts to slice public spending, however many
attempts were thwarted by Congress who wanted to maintain public spending
projects. The Watergate scandal also didn’t help Nixon here.
- Jimmy Carter’s election, the so-called ‘Watergate Congress’ was marked by an
increase in public spending. As a % of GDP, grants increased from 1.5% in 1965 to
3.1% in 1975.
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