The Principle of Federalism

When the Constitution was written, people were more loyal to their states than to the national government, which seemed far away. During the Revolutionary War and under the Articles of Confederation, state govern­ments exercised considerable power, often governing themselves indepen­dently of one another. However, many delegates to the constitutional convention realized that thirteen separate states were not strong enough to deal with the many issues of the day. As a result, the framers of the Constitution created a government based on the principle of federalism.

Under federalism, power is shared by the national government and the states. The states agree to give up certain powers to the national govern­ment and in exchange keep certain powers for themselves. For example, the states give the federal government the right to mint money but not the right to determine who has to go to school or for how long.

In some cases, federal and state powers overlap. For example, both the federal and state governments are responsible for the construction and maintenance of highways. Thus the American federal system is said to resemble a marble cake, with two distinct layers swirling together to create a whole. Although separate, the two layers must work together and depend on one another to get the job done.

Checks and Balances
	Executive Branch
	· May veto legislation · Calls special sessions · Recommends legislation	· Appoints federal judges · May pardon convicted persons
Legislative Branch	Judicial Branch
· Controls money · Approves treaties · Approves appointments · May override veto · May impeach president and other executive branch officials	· May impeach federal judges · Determines jurisdiction · Approves appointments to federal courts	· Interprets laws · May declare laws unconstitutional · Interprets treaties	· May declare executive actions unconstitutional