how has federal govt has gained power at the expense of the states?

Question

since the ratificaion of the constitution, cosntroversy bweteen the federal govt and the state govts over the apporpriate division of power has existed. Explain how the federal govt has gained power at the expense of the states. what could state govts do to regain lost power?

Answer 1

How it happened was gradually and in steps. The first step was the civil war where the Federal government took the illogical position that the Federal government existed prior to the States and in fact created the states. This is dispite the fact that it was the States that created the Federal government.

This transformed the country from These United States, to The United States.

The biggest step was the amending the Federal constitution to allow State senators to be elected by popular vote instead of appointed by the State legislature. This change meant State Governments were no longer represented by their State Senators. Which shifted power from the States to the Federal government.

One thing that could be done by the States if any of the legislatures had any guts would be to hold Federal Tax dollars collected by the State in Escrow. For example the States collect the Federal Highway Tax on gasoline and diesel. This money is turned over to the Federal Highway fund and the money is distributed back to the States. However, the Federal legislature exercises unconstitutional control over the States by threatening and actually with holding these funds unless states adopt certain Federal policies like seat belt laws, Federal Speed limits ect. If the States held back these federal taxes it would prevent the Federal legislature from this abuse of power.

Answer 2

Lmao... are you in US history? Same here!

Anyways, the US started out with the Articles of Confederation, etc. It began pretty much with the States having all the power.

After the Constitution was ratified, the national government gained power, such as the power to prevent states from seceding (Civil War) and also the power to regulate interstate trade. National power greatly increased during FDR's term as he created many federal administrations that increased the government's role in the economy.

The states could regain that power by decreasing the government's ability to regulate the economy. Basically, this is making the federal government smaller.

Answer 3

by force usually, first the gov, will with hold funds from said state then when that doesn't work they will use the military to invade a state that wants to uphold their constitutional rights, the biggest was the civil war when Lincoln used federal troops against the south when our constitution specifically states the gov can never use fed, troops against the populace, each state is under the constitution a independent country, they are to make their own laws and enforce them, the federal gov, only has jurisdiction over 3 things 1 Espionage, 2 counterfeiting, 3 Interstate commerce, or ( the commerce clause) and that is where the feds have gained jurisdiction over our entire lives, illegally, the commerce clause states no state can charge another tariffs, nor restrict interstate trade nor passage,it seems every president we have had comes up with something else to chisel away at our constitutional rights, when they swore an oath to protect and preserve our right and freedoms, once they are in office they forget every thing except getting reelected, even at the expense of the country and its constitution,