"Chapter 2"

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, students should be able to understand:

1.  Three organizational arrangements for sovereign governments, including federalism.

2.   The advantages and disadvantages of federalism.

3.  The historic debates among the Framers of the Constitution of 1787 over the allocation of powers between the states and the national government.

4.  The evolution of the nature of the relationship between the national and state governments and          the historic events and court decisions contributing to the changes.

5.  The manner in which local governments derive their powers within federalism.

6.  The differences among various types of intergovernmental transfers of money.

7.  The descriptive models used to portray the American federal system.

8.  The forces that cause the continuing shift in the balance of power and responsibility between the national government and the states.

9.     The contemporary irritants in intergovernmental relations and how they contribute to the further evolution of American federalism.

10. The issues surrounding the proper balance of power and responsibility between the national government and the states.