American federalism : a concise introduction / Larry N. Gerston.

By: Gerston, Larry N [author]
Language: English Publisher: Armonk, New York : M.E. Sharpe, [2007]Copyright date: c2007Description: x, 197 pages : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 0765616718 (cloth : alk. paper); 9780765616715 (cloth : alk. paper); 0765616726 (pbk. : alk. paper); 9780765616722 (pbk. : alk. paper)Subject(s): Federal government -- United States | United States -- Politics and governmentDDC classification: 321.020973 LOC classification: JK311 | .G47 2007Online resources: Table of contents only
Contents:
pt. I. Creating a new nation -- 1. The great political experiment -- Defining federalism and organized power in the "first new nation" -- Endless nuances -- The four characteristics of federalism -- Fluidity and continuity -- Outcomes of federalism -- Follow the bouncing ball : the uncertainties of federalism -- Looking ahead -- 2. Reordering the rules on power and governance -- Questioning the traditional rules on power and governance -- New theories and the old regime : sowing the seeds of change -- Articles of confederation : the first effort at self-governance -- The constitutional convention : the second effort at self-governance -- From the past to the present -- pt. II. Organizing a federal system of government -- 3. The Appeal of tradition -- Tradition : the conservative ethic in America -- To trust or not to trust the people : conflicting themes -- The Constitution : assigned powers and early interpretations -- Pitting liberty against equality? -- Tradition, yes, but what tradition? -- 4. Institutional change agents : political wellsprings -- The courts as change agents -- The president as a change agent -- Congress as a change agent -- National institutions on the march -- 5. Informal pressures on the power flow -- Political parties -- Interest groups -- Bureaucracy : pushing from the periphery of power -- Public opinion -- Informal pressures : ambiguous but real -- pt. III. The dimensions of modern federalism -- 6. Vertical federalism -- National/state relations -- National/local federalism -- State/local relations -- Federal grants-in-aid as a catalyst for control -- National/private sector relations -- Vertical federalism in perspective -- 7. Horizontal federalism : arrangements among the states -- State political cultures in the federal framework -- Public opinion and policy differences -- State-to-state competition -- Regional cooperation -- Horizontal federalism in the twenty-first century -- 8. The international dimension of federalism -- The many faces of globalization -- Immigration -- Security -- International dimensions in a domestic context -- pt. IV. Continuity and change -- 9. Explaining American federalism in the twenty-first century -- Problem-solving in a defined political structure -- Emerging themes, new directions, unanswered questions -- The future of American federalism.
Summary: Understanding federalism--the form of political organization that unites separate polities within an overarching political system so that all maintain their political integrity--is central to the study of democratic government in the United States. Yet, many political scientists treat federalism as a set of abstract principles or a maze of budgetary transfers with little connection to real political life. This concise and engaging book boils the discussion down to its essence: federalism is about power, specifically the tug for power among and within the various levels of government. Author Larry N. Gerston examines the historical and philosophical underpinnings of federalism; the various "change events" that have been involved in defining America's unique set of federal principles over time; and the vertical, horizontal, and international dimensions of federalism in the United States today. The result is a book examining the ways in which institutional political power is both diffused and concentrated in the United States.--Amazon.com, adapted from publisher description.
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SUBJECT REFERENCE 		321.020973 G326 2007 (Browse shelf) Available CITU-CL-39535
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Includes index

Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-188)

pt. I. Creating a new nation --
1. The great political experiment --
Defining federalism and organized power in the "first new nation" --
Endless nuances --
The four characteristics of federalism --
Fluidity and continuity --
Outcomes of federalism --
Follow the bouncing ball : the uncertainties of federalism --
Looking ahead --
2. Reordering the rules on power and governance --
Questioning the traditional rules on power and governance --
New theories and the old regime : sowing the seeds of change --
Articles of confederation : the first effort at self-governance --
The constitutional convention : the second effort at self-governance --
From the past to the present --
pt. II. Organizing a federal system of government --
3. The Appeal of tradition --
Tradition : the conservative ethic in America --
To trust or not to trust the people : conflicting themes --
The Constitution : assigned powers and early interpretations --
Pitting liberty against equality? --
Tradition, yes, but what tradition? --
4. Institutional change agents : political wellsprings --
The courts as change agents --
The president as a change agent --
Congress as a change agent --
National institutions on the march --
5. Informal pressures on the power flow --
Political parties --
Interest groups --
Bureaucracy : pushing from the periphery of power --
Public opinion --
Informal pressures : ambiguous but real --
pt. III. The dimensions of modern federalism --
6. Vertical federalism --
National/state relations --
National/local federalism --
State/local relations --
Federal grants-in-aid as a catalyst for control --
National/private sector relations --
Vertical federalism in perspective --
7. Horizontal federalism : arrangements among the states --
State political cultures in the federal framework --
Public opinion and policy differences --
State-to-state competition --
Regional cooperation --
Horizontal federalism in the twenty-first century --
8. The international dimension of federalism --
The many faces of globalization --
Immigration --
Security --
International dimensions in a domestic context --
pt. IV. Continuity and change --
9. Explaining American federalism in the twenty-first century --
Problem-solving in a defined political structure --
Emerging themes, new directions, unanswered questions --
The future of American federalism.

Understanding federalism--the form of political organization that unites separate polities within an overarching political system so that all maintain their political integrity--is central to the study of democratic government in the United States. Yet, many political scientists treat federalism as a set of abstract principles or a maze of budgetary transfers with little connection to real political life. This concise and engaging book boils the discussion down to its essence: federalism is about power, specifically the tug for power among and within the various levels of government. Author Larry N. Gerston examines the historical and philosophical underpinnings of federalism; the various "change events" that have been involved in defining America's unique set of federal principles over time; and the vertical, horizontal, and international dimensions of federalism in the United States today. The result is a book examining the ways in which institutional political power is both diffused and concentrated in the United States.--Amazon.com, adapted from publisher description.

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