City College Academy of the Arts

Oath of Federalism

Denny Gabriel

Ms. Polen

Politics

12 February 2019
 Gabriel 1

Federalism was introduced in the United States after the American Civil War came into

an end. Federalism divides the constitutional power between the state governments and the

federal government of the United States. In particular, Federalism shifted power away from the

states and towards the federal government. This proved to be effective and continues to be the

best choice for the United States. Federalism allows more people with different opinions to get

representation, keeps the government in balance and allows states to solve local issues more

efficiently.

United States is made up of 50 states who represent a small portion each of the United

States population, this means the states are are able to communicate and represent the ideas of

these smaller populations. Federalism gives an opportunity for change of federal laws in a state

level with regards of the people’s opinion. For example, Colorado’s legalization of marijuana

directly addresses the issue of weed being illegal in a federal level. Governor John Hickenlooper

states Colorado “are working as a corvener for all interested parties and experts to shape public

policy.”. This proves Colorado is pursuing and respecting the public interest within their state.

Although their “administrator opposed the legalization of adult-use marijuana, [they] are

committed to fulfilling the will of the voters and directing the responsible regulation of this

nascent industry”(Hickenlooper).

Also, states are more efficient at solving local issues. If federalism was not in place, the

federal government will have a tougher time managing every states needs because every states

has different needs. Federalism does not only benefit the states, it benefits the federal

government in regards that the state government can lend a hand on solving issues. The federal

government can spend more time focusing in broader and important issues while the states focus
 Gabriel 2

on local issues. States prove to be more effective in solving local issues than the federal

government because they are the ones who are present everyday for an area. For example, driver

licenses are managed by the states because the states are the ones who monitor the roads. The

federal government cannot manage all roads across 50 states. If the federal government was in

charged of driver licenses it will “[reduce] the speed and effectiveness of states to monitor their

own roads”(“Should state-by-state”). This demonstrates traffic policies and safety is best handled

by the state government. In addition, it is unconstitutional for the federal government to handle

driver licenses. Those rights are not specifically granted to the federal government in the

constitution therefore they are relegated to the states.

Federalism also promotes balance and avoids tyranny in the United States government.

The separation of powers between the state government and federal government means that they

are able to dispute any corruption of power between each other. Both parties can dispute a law or

policy that they deem unconstitutional. The states have the right to sue the federal government

within reason. These reasons can range from violation of their constitutional rights to state

sovereignty. In addition to Federalism ensuring power balance, Federalism also promotes the

federal and state government to do their necessary job correctly. For example, “state officials

often … take aim at the manner in which federal agencies administer (or fail to administer)

federal statutes”(Grovet). ​Massachusetts v EPA ​is a demonstration of this statement. Twelve

states joined together to sue the ​Environmental Protection Agency​ because they failed to regulate

greenhouse gas emissions. Although they are a federal agency and did not do anything out of

their power, the “Supreme Court signaled its endorsement of such lawsuits”(Grovet) because of

their failure to maintain public safety of the environment, which is their federal responsibility.
 Gabriel 3

Many people believe without Federalism, issues will be more centralized therefore more

organized. However, contrary to this belief, there are many issues the federal government have

major control over that require the assistance of the states. For example, the health insurance

program provided by the federal and state government, Medicaid. This program is funded by

both the state and federal government and is “one of the largest items in state budgets”(“5

Challenges”). If Medicaid was primarily handled by the federal government, it will be

significantly more difficult to distribute. States already have many issues such as

“reimbursement rates for primary care physicians, specialists and dentists are very

low”(“Medicaid Issues”). The federal government sets a minimum eligibility levels for coverage

but the state governments are able to expand the eligibility based on the people's need in their

state. This proves that Federalism allows issues to be more organized and efficient with the help

of the states.

Overall, Federalism is the best choice for the United States. It ensures we have the most

balanced and fair system in government to avoid tyranny. It also allows and secures the

opportunity for change within government with a broader representation of individuals. Without

Federalism, the federal government will have most of the powers in decisions which eventually

become unfair.
 Gabriel 4

Works Cited

Grovet, Leigh Tara. “WHEN CAN A STATE SUE THE UNITED STATES?”. Cornell Law

Review, Vol. 101:851,​Cornell Law School​, May 2016,

www.cornelllawreview.org/files/2016/05/Grovefinal.pdf.

Hickenlooper, John. “Experimenting with Pot: The State of Colorado’s Legalization of

Marijuana.” ​State of Colorado​, 03 Jun. 2014, www.​doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12056.

“5 Challenges Facing Medicaid at 50.” ​Kaiser Health New​, 30 Jul. 2015, 

www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/07/30/5-challenges-facing-medicaid-at-50

“​Medicaid Issues for People with Disabilities.” ​The Arc​,

www.thearc.org/what-we-do/public-policy/policy-issues/medicaid. Accessed 13 Feb.

2019.

“Should state-by-state driver licenses be replaced by federally issued ones to increase safety and

legitimacy?”. ​Debate.org​,

www.debate.org/opinions/should-state-by-state-driver-licenses-be-replaced-by-federally-i

ssued-ones-to-increase-safety-and-legitimacy. Accessed 12 Feb. 2019.