73illegal residents. While some state and local politicians (as well as their supporters)
hold similar feelings, others disagree. This divergence between the policies desired
by politicians at different levels of government means that decisions about federalism
(which level of government does what) affect how immigration law is ultimately
interpreted and enforced.Levels of Government and Their Degrees of Autonomy
A distinguishing feature of federalism is that each level of government has some
degree of autonomy from the other levels—that is, each level can carry out some
policies without interference from the others. In the United States, this means that
the national and state governments have distinct powers and responsibilities (see
Nuts & Bolts 3.1). The national government, for example, is responsible for national
defense and foreign policy. State and local governments have primary responsibility
for conducting elections and promoting public safety, or police powers. In other
areas, such as transportation, the different levels of government have concurrent
powers—that is, they share responsibilities. The national government has also taken
on additional responsibilities through implied powers that are inferred from the
powers explicitly granted in the Constitution (see Chapter 2 and the later discussion in
this chapter).
Local governments—cities, towns, school districts, and counties—are not
autonomous units of government: they are creatures of state governments. State
governments create local governments and control the types of activities they can
engage in by specifying in the state charter what local governments can do and
cannot do.A Comparative Perspective
It is useful to compare U.S. federalism with forms of government in other countries.
Just because a nation is composed of states does not mean that it is a federal system:
the key factor in determining whether a system is federal or not is the autonomy of thepolice powers
The power to enforce laws and
provide for public safety.concurrent powers
Responsibilities for particular policy
areas, such as transportation, that
are shared by federal, state, and local
governments.The relationship between the national
government and the states also
involves cooperation. After Hurricane
Harvey devastated Houston, Texas,
in August 2017, FEMA partnered with
state officials, including a task force
from Nebraska, to provide relief to
residents affected by the storm.What is federalism and why does it matter?Full_04_APT_64431_ch03_070-101.indd 73 16/11/18 1:28 PM