The US has changed in dramatic and unexpected ways since it was founded in the late 18th century. Define federalism and discuss the conversations and debates the countrys founders would have been having surrounding establishing a confederation versus a federal state. How has the balance between state and federal government changed over the years? What events led to those changes? How does the national government exert its will on state governments today? What do you believe is the appropriate balance between state and federal power?
Provide an example of an issue that highlights the difficulty of policy-making at the state and national level to make your case for the appropriate balance of power between levels of government.