Federalism in the United States refers to a governmental system outlined in the Constitution in which power is distributed between the national government and the state governments. The nuances of federalism have evolved and changed in the U.S. as views altered over time about how power should be shared between the federal government and state governments. Political scientists routinely use labels such as “dual federalism,” “cooperative federalism,” “New Federalism,” and New Age Federalism to describe the various incarnations of federalism. The future of federalism may be dynamic depending upon how the U.S. Supreme Court chooses to adjudicate cases in which the distribution of power in government is at issue. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges for each level of government.
Watch the video below to see what political scientists are saying about the challenges of managing the pandemic in this current era of federalism.
Comment: Research the responses to COVID by the federal, Georgia, Dougherty, and Albany governments. What is the responsibility of each level of government in addressing COVID? Which style(s) of federalism would be best to manage COVID-19?
Connect: Your response should demonstrate an understanding and analysis of the assigned readings, class discussion, and current events.
Consider: How does the response change at each level of government? Which level of government is doing a better job of COVID management? Which level needs improvement? What are additional steps that need to be taken by each level?
Question: Provide one substantive question for decision-makers at each level of government regarding their government level’s response to COVID?
Format
Your discussion should be formatted as an APA-style paper with a minimum of 500 words.
Provide a clear introductory paragraph with your main idea. Then, use supporting paragraphs that contain the ideas/facts to support your main idea. In-text citations should be included per APA guidelines. Finally, provide a concluding paragraph that explains how the facts support your main idea.
Provide no fewer than five unique references for your arguments.
The course text, news articles/videos, and official websites are all acceptable sources.
Include a citations page at the end of the document.