Marijuana
In the twenty-first century, marijuana policy has been one of the primary arenas for determining the appropriate balance of power between the federal government…
State Courts
To understand the relationship and role of the various court systems in the United States, it is necessary to understand the relationship between state…
Craig v. Boren (1976)
See Equal Protection of the Laws; Equal Rights Amendment; Gender and Federalism
Gender and Federalism
A federal system of government is defined as a system in which power is shared by national and constituent governments. Because the Constitution of…
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution to guarantee women’s rights and equality under the law. The amendment…
County Government
There are over 3,000 county governmental units in the United States employing over 2.5 million employees. Traditionally counties have overseen such functions as road…
State-Local Relations
The relationship between state and local governments in the United States is often characterized as being one-sided, with state governments dominating the powers and…
International City/County Management Association
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) was founded in 1914, and its primary goal is “to create excellence in local government by developing and…
Intergovernmental Management
Federal programs administered through the states and local governments and state programs carried out by local governments must be managed cooperatively. The process of…
Councils of Governments
A Council of Governments (COG) is a voluntary association of local governments, situated in either a metropolitan or rural area, designed to promote discussion…
School Districts
American federalism enables each of the 50 states to maintain its own educational system. From a constitutional-legal perspective, local educational authorities (LEAs) are political…
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are federally mandated bodies responsible for coordinating transportation planning in urbanized areas with populations over 50,000 people. MPOs bring together…
