American Federalism: A Concise Introduction

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.

Larry N. Gerston

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;