The Concept of American Federalism - Coursework Example

Although federalism has the virtue of retaining local pride, power and traditions, it allows the central government to handle common problems as provided in the Tenth Amendment (Dye, 2010).

American federalism shapes public policymaking by providing a distinct role for the state and central government. However, policymaking is a complicated exercise that requires engagements, debates, deliberations and actions to pass laws and develop programs to address the needs at hand (Samuels, 2003). During a crisis, both the federal and state government acts in accordance with the given rules. However, the American constitution is ambiguous in detail about the specific duties of the state government and emphasizes the role of the central government that surpasses its enumerated powers. Therefore, federal and state policymakers should understand that each state has its constitutional limits that demand a direct intervention of the federal government. In short, the state government has the priority to implement policies to control a state crisis (Dye, 2010). Nonetheless, the federal government can make policies that assist the state to manage a crisis if the situation gets out of hand in terms of the geographical area or financial requirements. Read More