Lesson 4: Federalism and the Division of Power

Activity 4.2: Federalism Collage

The United States is comprised of individual states that create a united country. States’ Rights proponents would argue that this is the reason our country is called the United States of America, not the United America of the States. Conversely, supporters of federal power would counter with the fact that beyond the original 13 states that banded together to form a more perfect union, all the other 37 states had to get permission from the federal government to become part of the United States. The debate over federalism continues...

Federalism is the division of power between the three branches of the federal government and the governments of the states. Since the ratification of the Constitution in 1791, perceived imbalances of federalism have led to raucous and sometimes tragic events--most famously the Civil War. Though federal power has gradually gained more ground at the expense of the states, this has not been an entirely negative occurrence. Increased federal power gradually ended the Southern rebellion of the Civil War, created the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments (to name a few), laid the groundwork for positive changes in American society, and the Second World War was won because of the unity of the states that was fostered by the federal government in Washington D.C. Also, the strong federal government enforced the momentus laws of Civil Rights Act of 1964 that have shaped modern America. In this lesson, you will analyze the constitutional concepts associated with federalism, investigate the role of federalism in a number of controversies in U.S. History, and create a federalism collage.

Benchmark 9.1.4.6.1:

Explain federalism and the provisions of the United States Constitution which delegate to the federal government the powers necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was established; distinguish between those powers and the powers retained by the people and the states. For example: Necessary and Proper Clause (“elastic clause”), Commerce Clause, Ninth and Tenth Amendments. 

Learning Target: I can...express the legal and historical impact of federalism upon the history of the United States through the creation of a federalism collage.

Essential Question:

How has federalism both promoted and hindered freedom in the history of the United States?

To complete Activity 4.2 please follow the steps below:

STEP 1

For each of the 8 terms listed below, complete the following tasks on a Word or Google Doc:

1. Describe the term in detail using your own words
2. Explain how the term relates to the concept of federalism
3. Find 2 images that accurately represent each term. This means that you will have 16 images.
4. Cite the URL of each image

1. Federalism (You do not have to explain how federalism relates to federalism!!)
2. Necessary and Proper Clause (elastic clause)
3. Commerce Clause
4. Supremacy Clause
5. Interstate Commerce Clause
6. Ninth Amendment
7. Tenth Amendment
8. States’ Rights (This is an article from an opinion column. However, it explains how “states’ rights” has become especially tainted since the Civil Rights Era).

STEP 2

You will now examine a series of historical examples of controversies involving Federalism. Select five (5) of the historical examples listed below, then complete the following tasks on the Word or Google Doc used for the previous step.

A. Describe the event (term) in detail using your own words

B. Explain how the event (term) relates to the concept of federalism

C. Find 2 images that accurately represent the term. This means that you will have 10 images.

D. Cite the URL of each image

The following list contains historical examples of controversies involving some degree of federalism. In some of the events listed below, federalism was a partial factor but not the main issue. In particular, the heated controversies of the Civil Rights Era were often couched in the terms of federalism by politicians of several Southern states politicians even though the issue was more about racism and the denial of 14th Amendment rights. This is by no means an exhaustive listing:

1. Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1797)
2. Hartford Convention (1814)
3. McCulloch vs Maryland (1819)
4. Gibbons vs Ogden (1824)
5. Nullification Crisis of 1832
6. Road to the Civil War
7. Plessy vs Ferguson (1896)
8. Brown vs Topeka Board of Education (1954)
9. James Meredith (1962) States’ Rights Advocates covered the ignorance of their racism under the banner of federalism
10. Hurricane Katrina (2005)
11. No Child Left Behind
12. Same-sex Marriage
13. Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
14. Common Core Standards

STEP 3

Once you are done, explain how each of your images relate to their corresponding terms/events. These explanations should be completed on the same document used for STEPS 1 & 2.

STEP 4

Based upon what you have learned respond to this lesson’s essential question:

How has federalism both promoted and hindered freedom in the history of the United States?

Your response should be completed on the same document used for STEPS 1-3.

STEP 5

Arrange your 26 images (16 images from STEP 1 plus 10 images from STEP 2 equals 26) in an artistic or interesting “collage-esque” manner. This should be done on a separate document. For ideas about how your collage might look, please click here. Examine the grading rubric for more details.

STEP 6

You will use each of the 5 elements of the grading rubric to grade your own presentation and provide a written explanation of why you graded yourself in the way you did. This should be completed on a separate document. When completed with the assignment, please turn it in using the upload file submission box.

STEP 7

Upload your documents to the add submission box
o Open document to your computer
o Complete the activity
o Click "Save As" and save it onto a special place on your computer
o Click "Upload a File"
o Upload the file to this Moodle page
o Click Save

You will repeat these same directions for your finished collage and the explanation of your grade.