William_T._Bianco,_David_T._Canon]_American_Polit

74 Chapter 3Chapter 3 || Federa lismFedera lism

National and State Responsibilities

NUTS

& B O LT S

3.1

National Government Powers State Government Powers Concurrent Powers

Print money Issue licenses Collect taxes

Regulate interstate commerce and

international trade

Regulate intrastate (within the state)

Businesses

Build roads

Make treaties and conduct foreign policy Conduct elections Borrow money

Declare war Establish local governments Establish courts

Provide an army and navy Ratify amendments to the Constitution Make and enforce laws

Establish post offices Promote public health and safety Charter banks and corporations

Make laws necessary and proper to carry out

these powers

May exert powers the Constitution does not

delegate to the national government or does not

prohibit the states from using

Spend money for the general welfare;

take private property for public

purposes, with just compensation

Powers Denied to the National Government Powers Denied to State Governments

May not violate the Bill of Rights May not enter into treaties with other countries

May not impose export taxes among states May not print money

May not use money from the Treasury

without an appropriation from Congress

May not tax imports or exports

May not change state boundaries May not interfere with contracts

May not suspend a person’s rights without due process

political subunits. The United Kingdom, for example, is made up of England, Scotland,

Wales, and Northern Ireland. In 1998, the British Parliament created a new Scottish

government and gave it authority in a broad range of areas. However, Parliament

retained the right to unilaterally dissolve the Scottish government; therefore, the

subunit (Scotland) is not fully autonomous. This type of government, in which power is

centralized at the national level, is a unitary government. Unitary governments are

the most common in the modern world (about 80 percent); other examples include

Israel, Italy, France, Japan, and Sweden. Although U.S.-style federalism is not as

common, Australia, Austria, Canada, and Germany, among others, share this form

of government.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is a confederal government, in which the

states have most of the power. This was the first type of government in the United

States under the Articles of Confederation, but there are few modern examples.

One is Switzerland, where 26 cantons (state-level governments) exercise largely

independent policy-making powers except in the areas of foreign policy and control

of the armed forces.

unitary government

A system in which the national,

centralized government holds

ultimate authority. It is the most

common form of government in the

world.

confederal government

A form of government in which states

hold power over a limited national

government.

Full_04_APT_64431_ch03_070-101.indd 74 16/11/18 1:28 PM