The Fight between the State and the Federal Government - Essay Example

The fight between the state and the federal government Over the years, differences have emerged between the states and federal governments. This paper will give a description of the fight between the state and federal government and root causes of the battle between these two. Primarily, the fight involving federal and state governments emanates from sovereignty of the states. The states fight to be autonomous and free themselves from the control of the federal government. States are against the interference from government on matters within their territorial boundaries.

On the other hand, the federal government may want to exercise control over affairs of a state especially if the issues are of national concern. By exercising its powers, the federal government finds itself in constant battles with the state governments. The constitution of the United States gives the federal government powers to regulate trade and commerce between the states. These powers to regulate business transactions include authority to control the movement of things and people between the states, as well as communication and transport (Bardes et al.

, 2008 p 27). There have also been vast differences between the states and the federal government over the issue of taxation, with the congress facing opposition from the states because of the taxes levied. The United States constitution grants the federal government the authority to tax and spend so as to cater for the welfare and defense. As a result, states oppose the taxes charged by the federal government since the federal government not only levies taxes, but also allocates the expenditure (Bardes et al.

, 2008 p 27). The tenth amendment to the U.S constitution limits the powers of the federal government, as it states that “the powers not delegated by the constitution to the federal government should be exercised by states and people of the united States.” This is not always the case as this amendment does not always limit the powers of the federal government. As a result, states and federal government have had huge differences, with states arguing that the federal government abuses the powers in the constitution (Bardes et al.

, 2008 p 28). Work citedBardes, Barbara, Shelley, Mack and Schmidt. American Government and politics today: the essentials. New York: Wadsworth, 2008. Print.