Cooperative federalism refers to an overall process by a system in which all levels of government work together to achieve common goals. It became popularized during the 1930s after the Great Depression and continued to be present until the 1970s. Advantages include the ability to mitigate power struggles and miscommunication between national and state governing groups. This approach has been present during many implementations of cooperative federalism to fix national economic challenges. Within the U.S., this mode of federalism aimed to facilitate a unified plan nationally and led to a less defined border of state and federal governance.
On the other hand, new federalism was popularized after the election of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. Certain governing capabilities were returned to the states to create a balance between national and state-level governance. An advantage of the approach included block grants which functioned as capital funds that states could spend with little restriction. As such, this allowed state-level governments to fund or support causes or systems they deemed to be crucial or in special need of assistance. However, the approach would often be subject to unfunded mandates which included the passing of certain policies without causing states to spend funds.
In the modern day, the U.S. is likely to benefit more from a cooperative federalist system. This is primarily because the influence of elected representatives within states may be detrimental to the pre-existing rights and safety of citizens. This can be seen in cases such as the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in certain states or a lack of consensus on gun control among different states (Newport, 2022). While the freedom of states to choose their preferred policies can be beneficial, they also function to limit the rights of many residents of the states in which such laws can pass. As such, it is fundamental that certain vital laws that protect the freedoms of citizens are installed on a national level.
Reference
Newport, F. (2022). Americans’ Views on Federalism as States Take on More Power. Gallup. Web.