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Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights, also known as the first 10 amendments to the constitution, was an important part of the development of federalism as it limited the powers of the federal government. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
This court case looked at the relationship between the government and the states regarding banking. The Constitution does not allow Congress to create a national bank, however that's exactly what they did when they backed the First and Second Banks of the U.S. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
This landmark court case regarding commerce further increased the federal government's reach. It showed that federal law will always trump state laws. -
The Civil War Amendments
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution extended legal protections to former slaves. This directly went against the state constitutions in the South which allowed slavery. -
Dual Federalism & The Supreme Court
Following the civil war, the Supreme court tended to favor the states laws over the federal government's. This led to the federal government injecting money into States in the form of grants to push it's own agenda. -
Federal Mandates
This was a way for the federal government to make states comply with rules and regulations put forth by them. The states in most cases did not have a choice. -
The Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act again put the federal government in a position to require states to comply with federal rules and regulations.
