American federalism : a concise introduction /
Larry N. Gerston.
- x, 197 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
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.