The Changing State Government
The Changing Role of State Government
The American Political System
LG 113
Matthew Moe
The role of state government in the United States political system has been dynamic, complex, and hotly debated since the former British colony declared independence in 1776. Founded and developed as individual colonies, the states entered a loose union under the Articles of Confederation during the War of Independence and remained nearly autonomous until the United States Constitution was ratified in 1789. The Constitution sought to form a “more perfect union” by establishing a federal government which could “provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare” of its citizens much better than each state could on its own …show more content…
Principally, the government would comprise of three branches—Executive, Legislative, and Judicial—each with the power the check the other two. The legislative branch was to be a bicameral house, giving equal representation to each state and its citizens, and further enshrining the separation of power as a fundamental doctrine. Article I enumerated the specific powers of the the federal government to oversee foreign policy, national defense, and interstate commerce while also stipulating that it could do all things “necessary and proper” to carry them out. The latter provision, known as the “Elastic Clause,” would later form the basis of massive federal expansion into state and local affairs ("Article I - Legislative …show more content…
While they were supplied with guarantees as to their representation in government, defense from incursion, and the “full faith and credit” of their laws by other states, they were conversely obliged to recognize the laws other states, and decisively compelled to yield to federal laws where they conflicted ("Article IV - States, Citizenship, New States"). Finally, the 10th Amendment in the Bill of Rights reserved the “powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it” to the states and its people ("Amendment X"). Because relatively few powers were explicitly assigned to the federal government, states would ostensibly have considerable freedom in managing their jurisdictions. As history will show, this would not always be the case. Several landmark Supreme Court decisions citing key clauses have dictated the interpretation of the Constitution, and the balance of state and federal authority thereafter. The Commerce Clause (the federal government 's express power to oversee interstate commerce), the Elastic Clause (its implied power to do things necessary and proper), and the Supremacy Clause (preemption of federal over state laws) are especially significant, and continuously reappear in disputes surrounding the role of federal and state
The American Political System
LG 113
Matthew Moe
The role of state government in the United States political system has been dynamic, complex, and hotly debated since the former British colony declared independence in 1776. Founded and developed as individual colonies, the states entered a loose union under the Articles of Confederation during the War of Independence and remained nearly autonomous until the United States Constitution was ratified in 1789. The Constitution sought to form a “more perfect union” by establishing a federal government which could “provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare” of its citizens much better than each state could on its own …show more content…
Principally, the government would comprise of three branches—Executive, Legislative, and Judicial—each with the power the check the other two. The legislative branch was to be a bicameral house, giving equal representation to each state and its citizens, and further enshrining the separation of power as a fundamental doctrine. Article I enumerated the specific powers of the the federal government to oversee foreign policy, national defense, and interstate commerce while also stipulating that it could do all things “necessary and proper” to carry them out. The latter provision, known as the “Elastic Clause,” would later form the basis of massive federal expansion into state and local affairs ("Article I - Legislative …show more content…
While they were supplied with guarantees as to their representation in government, defense from incursion, and the “full faith and credit” of their laws by other states, they were conversely obliged to recognize the laws other states, and decisively compelled to yield to federal laws where they conflicted ("Article IV - States, Citizenship, New States"). Finally, the 10th Amendment in the Bill of Rights reserved the “powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it” to the states and its people ("Amendment X"). Because relatively few powers were explicitly assigned to the federal government, states would ostensibly have considerable freedom in managing their jurisdictions. As history will show, this would not always be the case. Several landmark Supreme Court decisions citing key clauses have dictated the interpretation of the Constitution, and the balance of state and federal authority thereafter. The Commerce Clause (the federal government 's express power to oversee interstate commerce), the Elastic Clause (its implied power to do things necessary and proper), and the Supremacy Clause (preemption of federal over state laws) are especially significant, and continuously reappear in disputes surrounding the role of federal and state