Gaining Power of the States Relative to the Federal Government

Shortly after World War II, when Europe was still in recuperation from the war, U.S. was the predominant democratic superpower. Successively, the country was commonly referred to as the free world. Indeed, even as they recouped and revamped their military and economy, the U.S. was obviously the superpower compared to other democratic nations. Progressively, the United States has since then taken pride in its democratic government. Be that as it may, there has been progressing debates and clashes between the federal and state governments over an array of issues such as administrative power. On one hand, conservatives are of the firm conviction that the state governments should be allowed to handle local issues, like health and social services, education, among others that directly impact the people. Succinctly, the essential contention as to which of the two governments is more powerful must have been settled in 1789 when the Constitution conceded the federal government the right to tax collection, oversight over states especially in cases of disputes, regulation of businesses between states, and the army CITATION Joh13 \l 1033 (Judis, 2013). According to Judis (2013), previous attempts by various states to abolish the federal power have all been in vain. Over the recent past, the states have plausibly gained less power compared to the federal government.

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There is little question that the federal government surpasses anything ever envisioned by the founders and has obviously assumed control of numerous parts initially assigned to individual states. Conventionally, the Constitution endeavored to confine the likelihood of a very powerful federal government, thus assigning limited powers with stringent regulatory measures. The father of the nation through the Constitution, assigned only those powers that would have proven almost impossible to be run by the states such as foreign policies, monetary policies, and defense CITATION USH08 \l 1033 (USHistory, 2008). All factors held constant; the states would then be tasked with handling most local matters. The Bill of Rights was then instituted to constrain the federal government from taking advantage of their powers at the expense of the state governments.

Consequently, the last decade has been characterized by heightened conflicts between the states and federal governments. As the federal government expands and starts forcing unreasonable measures on states, states have begun to battle back. Most remarkably, the federal government enacted the Health Care Education Reconciliation Act, assigning itself an extensive measure of powers. As a result, 26 states filed a lawsuit in a bid to topple the Act, arguing that the laws be about difficult to execute. Such hurdles are synonymous to the difficulties that underlying states face as they endeavor to implement right for their states. Another primary area of conflict is the issue of immigration. Border states such as Arizona more often than not find themselves fighting with the federal government over illegal immigration laws and enforcement of such laws. Voting irregularities case have also been areas of disputes in several states given the respective state laws and regulations over the voting process. When the state of South Carolina enacted a law that required voters to produce an ID photo to be allowed to vote, the Department of Justice barred the state from executing the legislation.

In conclusion, the backdrop above plausibly outlines how over the years, the states have gained fewer powers relative to the federal government. Be that as it may, the state and federal powers may be mirrored in various variations from one state to the next. It is also imperative to comprehend that the Constitution was enacted decades ago, and in light of the progressive developments that the country has been through, it is subject to review as seen in various cases. Whereas the constitution sought to limit the powers of the central government, that does not seem to be the case as the federal government continually gains more powers.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Judis, J. B. (2013, July 16). Federal Government Is More Powerful Than State Government. Retrieved from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/07/16/state-politics-vs-the-federal-government/federal-government-is-more-powerful-than-state-government

USHistory. (2008). Amercan Government. Retrieved from U.S. History: http://www.ushistory.org/gov/3a.asp