American federalism : a concise introduction
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
American federalism : a concise introduction
M.E. Sharpe, c2007
- : pbk. : alk. paper
Available at / 4 libraries
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Library of Education, National Institute for Educational Policy Research
: pbk. : alk. paper312.53||42112100325
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-188) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Understanding federalism - the form of political organization that unites separate polities within an overarching political system so that all maintain their political integrity - is central to the study of democratic government in the United States. Yet, many political scientists treat federalism as a set of abstract principles or a maze of budgetary transfers with little connection to real political life. This concise and engaging book boils the discussion down to its essence: federalism is about power, specifically the tug for power among and within the various levels of government. Author Larry N. Gerston examines the historical and philosophical underpinnings of federalism; the various "change events" that have been involved in defining America's unique set of federal principles over time; and the vertical, horizontal, and international dimensions of federalism in the United States today. The result is a book examining the ways in which institutional political power is both diffused and concentrated in the United States.
Table of Contents
- Part 1 Creating a New Nation
- Chapter 1 The Great Political Experiment
- Chapter 2 Reordering the Rules on Power and Governance
- Part 2 Organizing a Federal System of Gevernment
- Chapter 3 The Appeal of Tradition
- Chapter 4 Institutional Change Agents
- Chapter 5 Informal Pressures on the Power Flow
- Part 3 The Dimensions of Modern Federalism
- Chapter 6 Vertical Federalism
- Chapter 7 Horizontal Federalism
- Chapter 8 The International Dimension of Federalism
- Part 4 Continuity and Change
- Chapter 9 Explaining American Federalism in the Twenty-first Century
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