What are facts about federalism?

Answer 1

The Federation of Australia was the joining of all the states and territories as one nation controlled by the federal government.

Prior to 1901, Australia was made up of six self-governing colonies; New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. These colonies were under British rule from the time the First Fleet landed, in 1788, until 1901. Numerous politicians and influential Australians through the years had pushed for federation of the colonies, and self-government. After not being accepted by the states the first time, the amended Commonwealth Constitution was given Royal Assent on 9 July 1900.

On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved and the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed.

Answer 2

Federalism is based on (1) the dissolution of empires, (2) regional variation and (3) ease of administration. Examples of the dissolution of empires are the British empire in North America in 1776, the Russian empire in 1917, the USSR in 1991,the German Empire in 1918, the Nazi "empire" in 1945 and Yugoslavia and Bosnia in the present. Examples of regional variation are Switzerland, Canada, the USSR and Russia. As to ease of administration, even unitary states like France and England are divided into departments or counties.

Constitutional basis of the US federal system is Article IV (admission of new states), Article VI (national government supremacy), Amendment X (reserved powers) and Amendment XIV (national control of state action). The "enumerated powers" in Article I, Section 8, list the specific powers of the national government. While these are supposedly the only powers it has, in fact the commerce and "elastic" clauses have permitted great enlargement.

National laws that form the basis of the federal system include the laws admitting new states into the union. Since Tennessee, 16th state, Congress has used the phrase that the new state is admitted on an "equal footing" as the other states. A number of specific laws define the federal relationship. Major examples are the decentralized programs like welfare, employment services and environmental protection.

Grant program are a major factor in the federal system. Since 1862 the national government has given grants for "land grant" colleges, highways, welfare (but not social security old age pensions), environmental protection, Model Cities, and revenue sharing. The grant authority is based on a contract, not on the Constitution. If a state does not like the terms, it should refuse the money.

Interstate relations within the United States are handled much like foreign affairs. States can negotiate and enter into treaties with other states. A historically important example is the treaty negotiated in 1785 between Maryland and Virginia on use of the Chesapeake Bay. Sometimes the states negotiate under the provisions of a national law, such as the Low Level Nuclear Waste Act that set up a series of interstate compacts. Another example of an interstate treaty is the one that established the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The relationship between the state and local government is not a true example of federalism. States have total authority to create, modify and abolish counties and municipalities. The relationship is referred to as the "federal analogy."

Inthe United States the word "federal" also means the national government as in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As a means of emphasizing the word to mean the relationship, for the fifteen weeks of the semester, use the word federal exclusively for the system, not for the government in Washington. Refer to that as the national government or as US for an adjective.

Answer 3

The Federation of Australia was the joining of all the states and territories as one nation controlled by the federal government.

Prior to 1901, Australia was made up of six self-governing colonies; New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. These colonies were under British rule from the time the First Fleet landed, in 1788, until 1901. Numerous politicians and influential Australians through the years had pushed for federation of the colonies, and self-government. After not being accepted by the states the first time, the amended Commonwealth Constitution was given Royal Assent on 9 July 1900.

On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved and the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed.