Federalism in One Day Case Studies
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Guiding Question:
What are past and contemporary (modern) examples of federalism? How does federalism create tension across the levels of government?
Objectives:
- Students will evaluate the effectiveness of federalism in maintaining a constitutional republic.
- Students will summarize and apply the concept of federalism to historical case studies.
- Engage Handout: Agree or Disagree
- Explore Handout: Jigsaw: Jigsaw
- Federalism Case Studies: Case Study Readings
Anticipate
Optional: Have students read the essay from this unit for background.
Engage
Distribute the Engage Handout. Students are given a series of prompts and will mark if they agree or disagree and provide their rationale for each statement. Allow students 5-10 minutes to respond to these prompts.
Have students share with a shoulder partner or in small groups. Draw students’ attention to the definition of federalism on their handout.
Say, “All of these examples relate to the Founding principle of federalism. Under the Articles of Confederation, the states held too much power, and the new country was floundering. The Founders tried to fix this in the Constitution by ensuring that both the national government and the states shared power. In theory, this sounds straightforward, but it can be messy and lead to conflict. We will explore a few examples of this conflict in this activity.”
Explore
Distribute the Explore: Jigsaw Handout and the Federalism Case Studies.
Options:
- Students will be assigned a case study and then share their information with a small group.
- Students can read all three case studies individually and move on to the final reflection and discussion.
- Create stations around the classroom with the case study information for students to read. Students will take notes on each case study.
Assess and Reflect
After students have filled in all the information for the three case studies, allow them time to answer the final analysis and reflection questions on their Jigsaw handout. If time allows, ask students to share their impressions and discuss answers.
- Did any of the case studies surprise you? Explain.
- If you had to explain federalism to someone unfamiliar with the U.S. government, what would you say?
- What do these case studies reveal about the dynamic interplay between states and the national government?
- How do you see the effects of federalism in your own life? Explain.