Assignment

Federalism in the United States has evolved over the past 200 years from an arrangement where state and national government powers and responsibilities were clearly distinct and separate, to one in which the line of distinction between the two has blurred. First, explain the clauses in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that have allowed the expansion of national government power, how Article VI's Supremacy Clause plays a role, and which amendment in the Bill of Rights is intended to act as a countering force to restrict such expansion. Next, explain how the Supreme Court decisions in McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden legitimized Congress' use of these clauses to expand the power of the national government. Finally, as the main focus of your essay, analyze the impact of The New Deal upon American federalism. What is its legacy on contemporary American politics?