Federalism is a system incorporated into the politics of the United States; Federalism involves the sharing of power between different levels of government: state governments and the federal government. Federalism is a significant factor in the US, but in some countries it doesn't even exist; for example, the United Kingdom has a unitary system where all power is concentrated around Parliament; what they give, they can take away. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Federalism is significant in the United States because the Founding Fathers incorporated it into the United States Constitution. When the Founding Fathers wrote the original Constitution during the Philadelphia Convention, they wrote it in a way that gave the states some enumerated rights and the federal government some delegated rights. This established a period of double federalism. However, it was the Tenth Amendment, included in the Bill of Rights, that truly introduced federalism. The Bill of Rights “sweetened the constitutional pill” and this allowed the expansion of the USA. The Tenth Amendment declared that all powers not granted to central institutions are presumed to remain at the state level. This is important to remember because otherwise the smaller states would not have joined the United States. Federalism and states retaining certain powers have allowed more states to join the United States and the United States to expand westward. Federalism is a significant feature of the United States because it allows states to maintain their own customs and heritage. Federalism allows states to maintain their enumerated rights; crime, punishment, and education are all enumerated rights about which states can make their own decisions. For example, federalism has given states like California and Nevada the right to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Additionally, states may have different laws on how to punish criminals. For example, Alabama applies the death penalty, while New York does not. Even though the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution denies the use of “cruel and unusual punishment,” some states still allow the death penalty because they have interpreted the Constitution in a certain way. States appreciate being able to establish their own laws because this allows them to maintain their cultural identity. The United States is so geographically diverse and hyphenated that means beliefs between states differ. Federalism is significant because it allows states to have this right. Each state has its own Constitution, legislature, and judiciary. Delegated powers are the rights enjoyed by the national government. Defense is an example of a national government right outlined in the constitution. This means that only the President, with the support of Congress, can take the United States to war. Occasionally, the state government and the federal government believe the other is carrying out one of their tasks; whenever there is a dispute over powers between the states and the central government, the Supreme Court becomes the final arbiter in determining the outcome; the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution and therefore the meaning of the Constitution can be interpreted differently over time. Considering all of the above, it is clear that federalism is a significant factor in the US political system because it allows states to maintain their liberties and identities, while belonging to a more powerful federal government. When evaluating the scope of federalism, it should be considered that the idea of ​​federalism has changed over time. The relationship between the central and state governments has changed.In the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the idea of ​​federalism from dual federalism to cooperative federalism, changing the relationship between different levels of government. Roosevelt believed that an economic plan, centered on Washington, was the only viable way to heal America. Roosevelt strengthened the power of the federal government, changing the dynamic between the states and the office of President. Furthermore, during the Cold War, it was the Office of the President that made the most important decisions on behalf of the rest of America. This shows that sometimes federalism is not too significant as the President or Congress can change their relationship with the states in times of emergency. Furthermore, federalism is incredibly difficult to define. Over time, it has been difficult to clarify which powers the Constitution gives to which aspects of government. Federalism has been the subject of much discussion, especially in relation to the cases of the necessary and just clause found within the first article of the Constitution. States' rights advocates argue that the clause that would normally give Congress the power to revoke such rights is given as enumerated. Therefore, due to the confusion that federalism creates and the numerous loopholes it creates between the state legislature and Congress, it can be concluded that federalism is meaningless because it cannot be determined in practice. Recent presidents have attempted to leave their mark on history by modifying their conception of federalism. President Obama's "Obamacare" health care initiative created much controversy in 2012, when his opponents thought Obama was ignoring the Constitution by trying to nationalize his version of a health insurance plan. It was not the President's delegated right to introduce such plans and therefore did not gain political support from Congress. Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan are presidents closely associated with new federalism, the current type of federalism that exists in the United States. Both attempted to return more power to state governments as they wanted to reverse the growth of national government that had occurred under Democratic presidents. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayThis shows that federalism is still significant to some Republican members but perhaps not to Democratic members. Federalism itself has been reintroduced as a significant part of the US political system, however, it could be argued that the meaning of federalism varies between presidents. Ultimately, federalism is a significant factor in U.S. politics due to the fact that it is embedded in the U.S. political system. The Constitution of the United States, which is a deep-seated and codified document, is difficult to change. To be able to change it would need the support of smaller states, which is extremely unlikely. Additionally, federalism is a significant factor because it is considered the part of the U.S. Constitution that allowed multiple states to join; one political commentator said this "sweetens the constitutional pill" by limiting the power of the national government. However, federalism, in practice, has changed over time as the national government has had to coordinate major national emergencies, such as the Wall Street crash, and then respond to the Great Depression. This means that federalism in practice has changed. Although recently, Republican politicians have continued to emphasize states' rights. Works Cited Madison, J. (1787). The Federalist No. 39. In A. Hamilton, J. Madison, and J. Jay (eds.), The Federalist Papers (pp. 241-246). Penguin,.