Debating Federalism: From the Founding to Today

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Federalismthe division of authority between the states and the federal governmentranks among the most important and lasting political and constitutional contributions of the American founders. Since the founding, however, Americans have engaged in a perpetual argument over federalisms proper structure and function. Arranged thematically and covering the entire span of American history, Debating Federalism: From the Founding to Today provides readers with the sources necessary to trace and understand this perennial debate. By examining the theoretical, polemical, political arguments as well as landmark Supreme Court cases, this collection reveals the continuing relevance and contentiousness of federalism in the American constitutional order.

Reviews

Well-selected and carefully edited. The readings in this excellent volume show how the drama of American politics has been motivated and made more pronounced by questions of sovereignty. 'Who shall rule' is a question too often given a rote, unthinking answer of 'the people,' without consideration of the important question 'which people' Would it be the people of Virginia, or Massachusetts, or rather the people of the nation as a whole that would decide the fate of the United States From civil rights to economic power, central questions of American identity and prosperity hinge on issues of state versus federal powerin short, on the state of our federalism. -- Bruce Frohnen, Ohio Northern University, historian and author of Virtue and the Promise of Conservatism
This is a highly useful collection for all students interested in American constitutional development. The documents are well-chosen to illustrate the peculiar ways Americans have thought about and applied the principle of federalism. The volumes greatest strength is its wide historical scope combined with its more narrow thematic focus. It is strongly recommended. -- Jeffery J. Rogers, Gordon State College
Debating Federalism contains a cache of important primary sources from the sixteenth through the twenty-first centuries covering two of the oldest and most contested topics in American constitutionalism: federalism and sovereignty. From political treatises and pamphlets to speeches and court decisions, the documents reveal that constitutionalism is hardly the dry, dead subject many assume it to be. Aaron N. Coleman and Christopher S. Leskiw provide a learned introduction that speaks to both the past and present relevance of federalism and sovereignty to American history and political life. This book offers an excellent entry point for students and scholars to grapple with these foundational American concepts. -- Adam Tate, Clayton State University

Author Bio

Aaron N. Coleman is associate professor of history and chair of the History and Political Science Department at the University of the Cumberlands. Christopher S. Leskiw is professor of political science at the University of the Cumberlands.