Section Objectives

After you have completed this section, you will be able to:

1. Compare a federal system to unitary and confederate systems and the advantages of each.
2. Describe the constitutional distribution of powers in the American federal system.
3. Explain the importance of McCulloch v. Maryland to the federal system of government.
4. Describe intergovernmental obligations established by the Constitution.
5. Analyze the changing nature of American federalism.
6. Evaluate the relationships between the states and the federal government in modern federalism.
7. Predict the success of efforts to decentralize federal power.