The Evolution of Federalism and Housing Policy

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When James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay drafted the Federalist Papers to persuade the state of New York to ratify the newly drafted United States Constitution, they could never have envisioned the controversy that the political theory of Federalism would generate, and the subsequent evolution of federalism that would follow. The Framers of the Constitution never planned for the federal government to be directly involved with the general welfare of people living within the United States beyond ensuring for a national defense and the creation of a national economy (Wills, 1982). As debatable as this issue was in 1787 and 1788, the subject is still controversial today, and has spawned political factions that have called for a return to those Constitutional fundamentals grounded in federalism. In his introduction for the Federalist Papers, Wills (1982) defined federalism as a basic political tenet of the United States Constitution which recognized that the post-Revolutionary colonies could best be governed by a mix of local and central government decision-making. Today, states are called upon to address issues of social welfare such as abortion, gay marriage and public housing; yet, federal agencies and federal dollars are caught in the political crosshairs for legislative resolution to these issues. This essay will examine this evolution of Federalism and discuss the significance of it, as it relates to the current state of intergovernmental relations for public agencies involved in housing. Structure of Federalism The American concept of federalism implies balance. Consequently, a system of checks and balances created by a division of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the national gover... ... middle of paper ... ...pers/Inman.pdf Nathan, R. P. (2006, September 2). Updating theories of American federalism. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://www.rockinst.org/pdf/federalism/2006-09-02-updating_theories_of_american_federalism.pdf Nivola, P. S. (2007, July). Rediscovering federalism. Issues in Governance Studies, 8, 1-18. Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://www.brookings.edu/views/papers/nivola/20070709.pdf Quigley, J. M. (2002, April 3). A decent home: Housing policy in perspective, (pp. 53-99). Berkley, CA. University of California, Berkley Program on Housing and Urban Policy. Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://escholarship.org/uc/item/8f57x42q Wills, G. (Ed.). (1982). Introduction. The Federalist papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. (pp. vii – xxiv). New York: Bantam.

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