Federalism Round Up

Section One:
Powers of the National Government- The national government can't go out of their aloud powers. The three types of powers are expressed, implied, and inherent. Expressed powers are words expressed in the Constitution. Implied powers are not stated, but suggested in the Constitution. Inherent powers are ones the national government have historically possessed. In this part, I learned there are three main parts and what each power means.

The States- The National Government has more say over all of the fifty states. The powers reserved to the states are ones the Constitution does not grant the National Government, and does not deny to the States. The constitution also denies many powers to the States. One power that is denied is no State can print or coin money with out due process of law. In this section I learned that the States and National Government both have an equal amount of power. They just have power over different things.

Section Two:
The Nation's Obligations to the States- The Constitution places several obligations on the Government. It states that the National Government must protect them against invasion, but this is now of very little significance, because an attack on any one state would be met as an attack on the US itself. The National Government is also bound by the Constitution to respect the territorial integrity of each of the States. In this part I learned that each State is important to the National Government, and they, bound by the Constitution, have to protect us.

Admitting New States- Only congress has the power to admit new States to the Union. A new State cannot be created by taking territory from one or more of the existing States without consent from the legislatures of the States involved. There has been 37 new states since the original 13 formed the Union. An act for creating a new State is called the Act of Admission. Before admitting a new State, Congress often has to set certain conditions. This I learned, and I also didn't know how much work had to be put in to add a new State to our Union.

Section Three:
Interstate Compacts- An interstate compact is an agreement among themselves and with foreign states. More than 200 compacts are now in force, and many involve several States. The Compact for the Supervision of Parolees and Probationers and the Compact on Juveniles have all 50 states joined in them. These compacts may include: conservation of resources, provide tax collections, promote vehicle safety, or encourage use of public universities. I learned a lot about the connection of States by these Compacts. I never knew most existed.

Privileges and Immunities- The Privileges and Immunities Clause, means that no State can draw unreasonable distinctions between its own residents and people who happen to live in other States. Each State must recognize the right of any American to travel in or become a resident of that State. A State cannot give hiring preferences to in-State residents. A State can require that a person live within the State for some time before he or she can vote or hold public office. It also can require some period of residence before licensing to practice law, medicine, or dentistry. I found it interesting that jobs can't prefer in-State residents, but many colleges differ between in-State and non-resident students. They might be a little different, but I learned that about the Privileges and Immunities Clause.