Table of Contents
- 1 Why did the framers choose a federal system?
- 2 How is the government set up under the Constitution Federalists?
- 3 Where does the power of the federal government come from?
- 4 How are the powers of the federal government limited by the Constitution?
- 5 Why is it important to understand the system of federalism?
Why did the framers choose a federal system?
The Framers chose federalism as a way of government because they believed that governmental power inevitably poses a threat to individual liberty, the exercise of governmental power must be restrained, and that to divide governmental power is to prevent its abuse.
How is the government set up under the Constitution Federalists?
Federalists wanted a strong central government. Federalists were not afraid of the central government created by the Constitution because it had three branches—the executive, legislative, and judicial—that could limit each other’s power. That way, the central government could not become too powerful.
Why did America’s founding fathers choose to establish a federal republic?
Why did America’s Founding Fathers choose to establish a federal republic? They were not interested in another monarchy because of the tyranny that could result from it, and they did not trust democracy because of their belief in man’s sinful nature. Instead, the states had to collect taxes for the federal government.
Where does the power of the federal government come from?
Thus in the United States, a plethora of legal systems all operate harmoniously at the same time. The government’s power to regulate comes from the US Constitution. The federal government derives its authority to create law from Article I, § 8, which discusses federal Congress’s exclusive or delegated powers.
How are the powers of the federal government limited by the Constitution?
While the Constitution thus grants broad powers to the federal government, they are limited by the 10th Amendment, which states that “ [t]he powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
Why was the constitution written by the States?
The Constitution was written by the thirteen original states. The federal government created by the states, via the Constitution, exists to serve the states. Until the states delegated some powers to the new federal government, those powers belonged to the states.
Why is it important to understand the system of federalism?
This inconsistency makes our system of federalism complicated for students (and lawyers). However, with a country as large and varied as the United States, it is sensible to allow each state to choose for itself which laws will be most suitable. The power to enact criminal laws belongs almost exclusively to the states.