128 Federalism Essay Topics & Examples

Need to write a federalism essay? Looking for good federalism topics and samples for inspiration? This article is a great place to start!

What is federalism? Essay writing always starts with research, and we can help you with it. In short, federalism is a mode of government that combines general and regional governments. Your argumentative federalism essay can focus on federalism’s importance. Or, you can show your understanding of a unique system of governance in the United States.

In this article, you will find 74 excellent federalism essay topics and research ideas. You can also read our samples and use our free topic generator!

⭐ Federalism Essay Prompts: Federalism in the United States

With its extensive territory and large population, the US required a robust government to sustain its infrastructure and grow into the global superpower it is today. However, its unique circumstances at the time of the formation made methods that were standard at the time inapplicable, forcing the Founding Fathers to innovate.

As a result, even two hundred years later, each state retains a considerable degree of independence. Your essay can cover any of the many different topics of federalism and its theoretical and practical applications:

• You can center your essay on the conflicting ideas of Aristotelian happiness and utilitarianism, with the Republican and Democratic parties representing the options, respectively. The purpose of a country is to make sure that its citizens are as happy and comfortable as they can be. However, the task becomes complicated when the question of what happiness means is taken into consideration.
• The emergence of the United States as a federation is a great federalism essay topic that can be explained by the circumstances of the nation’s formation. After fighting off the British in the Revolutionary War, the territory that would become the United States remained a loose alliance of small states, which can be considered a confederation. However, the system was ultimately non-viable, and the Founding Fathers had to create a more centralized country by creating and ratifying the Constitution.
• Alternatively, you can focus on the role if Constitution and its history. At first, many states formed anti-federalist movements and opposed the initiative, but eventually, they agreed to it after their concerns were addressed in the Bill of Rights. The Constitution has been amended many times, but its core has remained unchanged. The United States is still a federation, and its states can adopt many critical laws without requiring the approval of the central government.
• Discuss the idea of federalism in other countries that do not currently use it, providing examples. How much do the United States’ unique circumstances contribute to its ability to maintain a federation?
• Talk about examples of other federations that currently exist or have existed in the past. Some of their models differ considerably from that used in the United States.
• Discuss the idea of confederations and the reason why few to no countries can be classified as one despite their titles.

Find more ideas and excellent federalism essay samples below!

🏆 Best Federalism Topics & Essay Examples

1. Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages
   The system causes government to have control of itself because of great rivalry of power between the state and the nation.
2. Federalism Advantages and Disadvantages
   This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a federal system of government. A federal government can either be centralized where the central government has broad powers compared to state or provincial powers, or a […]
3. Federalism of the United States
   The end result showed that the federal government was using publicly owned land, which in the end, belonged to all citizens of the United States, thus the local state government had to make sure the […]
4. Costs and Benefits of Federalism
   Conflicts between the state and national government in the running of the United States is one of the major costs of federalism. Federalism leads to the formation of small political units that help in the […]
5. Cooperative Federalism in the USA
   A vivid example of the implementation of the concept of dual federalism is the United States of America in the form in which they were initially formed.
6. Federalist Paper Number 10
   It is one of the most influential papers and it talks about faction and the role of government in regulating it as well as liberty. According to him, legislation should be put in place to […]
7. The United States Federalism and Political Culture
   Having established the central values of the United States’ political culture, it is worth discussing how some of them align with the concepts of federalism and anti-federalism. Therefore, it can be concluded that federalism is […]
8. “American Federalism” Article by Derthick
   This article considers the issue of the effective distribution of powers between the central and federal administrations. Thus, it shows the division of powers between the national and federal administrations in 1965-1980 and the current […]
9. Healthcare Regulations and Federalism’s Impact
   Although the ACA established the regulations for getting the coverage on federal levels, the government had to allow local policy-making due to the high autonomy of many regions.
10. The Account of the Pros and Cons of Federalism
    To conclude, federalism and devolution are rather efficient forms of the state government provided they are properly implemented in the country.
11. The Federalist Papers to Understand the United States Constitution
    The purpose of the federalist papers was to convince the people of New York to ratify the proposed constitution because most of the other states had already done so.
12. The Impact of Fiscal Federalism on Financial Operations
    The ADA requirements influenced the fiscal and budgetary operations of American College Health Association in terms of enforcement of employment rights and observing the rights of employers and students with disabilities.
13. American Federalism: Why It Is Good for the Nation?
    In conclusion, it is necessary to note that historical, political, and cultural peculiarities of the United States make federalism the most appropriate type of governance for the country.
14. The Major Eras of American Federalism
    The second category consists of the powers, which are “not delegated to [the national government of] the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states” and are referred to as the […]
15. Fiscal Federalism: The Performance of Third-Party Implementers
    In the article ‘Public Performance and Management Review,’ the research question is “what can states do to maximize the performance of third-party implementers in the context of fiscal federalism?” The theory included a review of […]
16. 10th Amendment & Federalism
    The 10th Amendment reads “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”.
17. The Constitutional Debate About Government and Federalism
    The government provided for by this document was weak and this necessitated drafting of the American constitution after Shays Rebellion in the spring of 1787. There have been major changes in the media and technology […]
18. The Current State of Federalism in the 21st Century
    The outcome of the civil war of the 60-is of the XIX century was the doctrine of eternal union, recognizing the U.S.as a single state, created by the will of the entire American people, excluding […]
19. Federalism, Intergovernmental Relations, Fragmegration
    Finally there will be an analysis made of the difference in the theory of Fenno, Dahl and Lowi as compared to the normal text book definitions in regard to representation and legislation.
20. Constitutionalism and Federalism in State Politics
    The Constitution highlighted the fundamentals of American federalism and testified the domination of the centralization. As it can be view, the problem of centralization and decentralization was of great concern in the course of the […]
21. Federalism and Medical Marijuana
    Needless to say, United States faced political and social challenges as well, and the disputes over federalism and over the legal use of marijuana in medicine are still the most burning and controversial issues in […]
22. Federalists, Anti-federalist, and Republican Debate
    Generally, the state, that: It gave too much authority to the nationwide administration at the expenditure of the state management. Of these criticisms, the lack of a bill of rights was the most efficient.

🎓 Good Research Topics about Federalism

1. Political Science. The Federalist Papers
   The inspiration for this constitution, the framework, the framers, and the people who opted to choose the right path and inspiration, is the subject for this paper.
2. Federalism Implications for Medicaid in California
   An example used to compare and contrast the two metaphors is the system of Medicaid as controlled by the federal government and by the state government.
3. Federalism and Gun Control in the United States
   2 Each type of government possesses a set of duties and powers that it can exercise in the region, and the relationship between the levels is established in the Constitution.
4. Federalism: Policy Issues and Recommended Changes
   The concept of federalism is a well-known political trend, and the emphasis on its promotion is the practice that leaders of many states adhere to and develop.
5. Constitutional Convention of 1787 and Federalism
   James Madison was the key player on the issue of commerce under the Articles of the Confederation. He wanted the states to maintain the standards for the success of the social programs he wanted to […]
6. Federalism and Government Styles in the United States
   It is because the individual at the top is held accountable by the leaders of the local authorities. Top on the list is the fact that the division of power between the central government and […]
7. Presidential Power in Hamilton’s Federalist No. 70
   The analogy presented in the Federalist paper number seventy formed the basis of the present-day powerful executive in the United States.
8. Judicial Branch in Hamilton’s Federalist Papers
   In this context, the purpose of the judicial branch should not be misunderstood and viewed with reference to the purposes of the executive and legislative branches.
9. Aristocracy Assailed: The Ideology of Backcountry Anti-Federalism
   The author examines the views of the consensus historians and the attitudes of the anti-federalists towards the idea of American democracy.
10. Contemporary American Federalism
    Dual federalism is a system characterized by a national government that only governs by the rules that have been laid out in the constitution, national and state governments that are supreme in their allocated spheres […]
11. Federalist Paper No. 51
    He states that all the different arms of the government, as per the constitution, should be independent of one another though they should work in the direction of achieving the same constitutional goals it was […]
12. The Aggranoff’s Version of Federalist No. 44
    Provision of the relevant leadership and administrative is by implementing policies and procedures that are standard in relation with what the nation anticipates. Additionally, evaluation of citizens’ performance in the work field and confirming whether […]
13. Significance of Anti-Federalist Papers
    Therefore, it is important to note that the anti-federalist paper served as an alternative voice by helping to pinpoint spheres that needed to be rectified to ensure that the constitution that was in the process […]
14. No Child Left behind Act: Federalism Concept
    Based on the three branches of a federal government, the legislative branch is bestowed with the responsibility of making the law.
15. Federalism and Policy Formulation
    This should be made with regard to views of the stakeholders since every federal government’s view must be represented in formulating the policies.
16. Current Issue in Federalism
    This has triggered the debate to shift from the state courts and legislatures to the federal courts with the interest groups looking for the best platform to present their case.
17. Federalism and separation of powers
    In the American constitution, specific powers were bestowed upon the national government and in the tenth amendment of 1791, it stated “the powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by […]
18. The Bill of Rights and the Anti-Federalist Concerns
    The Effects of the Bill of Rights Due to these facts and the essence of the Bill of Rights, it can be said that the efforts of the Anti-Federalists were not in vain.
19. Federalism in the United States
    The power assignments of the national government comprises of both implied and expressed powers. The Implied powers permit the central government to come up with decisions, which are not part of the expressed powers.
20. The Case for a Federalism Amendment
    The main agenda here is the evenness or equality on how the powers are shared between the federal government and the states governments without interfering with the rights of their people. For instance, the states […]
21. Modern American Federalism
    Development and evolution of democracy over the centuries has been focusing on devolution of central powers of government to increase independence of the local states.
22. The Evolution of American Federalism
    Madison alone wrote over 20 articles on the subject and helped in the development and ratification of the US constitution and the 39th article as well as Federalist 51 is regarded as the most indicative […]
23. Federalism in United States
    Federalism is therefore defined as a coordination of the regime in which control and the influence of power is partitioned with an attempt to distribute it in the central government and the constituent supporting units.

🔍 Federalism Essay Topics: Simple & Easy

1. An Overview of the Change of Federalism and the Great Depression
2. The Implications of Elections for Federalism in Iraq: Toward a Five-Region Model
3. A Look at Power Shifts in Intergovernmental Relations as a Result of Fiscal Federalism
4. The Major Role Federalism Has Played in Our Government
5. Understanding the Political Ideology of Federalism and the Role of the Federal Government
6. An Initial Evaluation of Revenue-Sharing Arrangements in the New South African Fiscal Federalism
7. A Comparison of Federalism and Anti-Federalism and Their Arguments
8. Using Benefit-Cost Criteria for Settling Federalism Disputes: An Application to Food Safety Regulation
9. Adjusting To Economic Growth In Toronto Amalgamation And Federalism
10. Why Is Federalism Is The Best Option For The Philippines
11. Advantages And Disadvantages Of American Federalism
12. An Analysis of the Essential Principles of Federalism in the United States Government
13. An Analysis of the Three Examples of How Federalism Which Evolved From Its Origins To the American Political System
14. The Political Economy of Immigration Enforcement: Conflict and Cooperation under Federalism
15. A Fiscal Federalism Analysis of Debt Policies by Sovereign Regional Governments
16. An Evaluation of Federalism and the Civil War in America
17. What Is Federalism And How Does It Relate To State Governments And Other Forms Of Governance
18. Beyond National Standards: Reconciling Tension between Federalism and the Welfare State
19. An International Multi-Level System of Competition Laws: Federalism in Antitrust
20. Understanding Federalism Based on the Section: Picket-Fence Federalism
21. The Possible Impact of Federalism in the Government of America
22. The Tragedy of the Commons or the Curse of Federalism
23. A Research on American History: Federalism in the United States
24. An Overview of the Power Shift in Intergovernmental Relations as a Result of Fiscal Federalism
25. The National Schoolmarm: No Child Left Behind and the New Educational Federalism

💡 Most Interesting Federalism Topics to Write about

1. The Relation of Federalism and Poverty in the US
2. A Report on the Methods of the Constitution to Guard Against Tyranny: Federalism, Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, and Equal Representation
3. Walking in the Shadow of Pressman and Wildavsky: Expanding Fiscal Federalism and Goal Congruence Theories to Single-Shot Games
4. A Description of Federalism as a Type of Government Where Power is Separated Between a National Government and Various Regional Governments
5. A Description of the Federalist Papers and Federalism
6. Asymmetric Information and Regional Transfers: Federalism versus Devolution
7. The Role Of Federalism And Its Effect On American Government
8. A Fatal Distraction from Federalism – Religious Conflict in Rakhine
9. An Empirical Study of US Environmental Federalism: RCRA Enforcement From 1998 to 2011
10. An Analysis of the Extent of the Influence of the Constitution and Federalism on the Political Culture of the United States
11. An Analysis of the Federalism in the Government System of 18th Century United States
12. An Analysis of the Political System of Federalism in the United States of America
13. Adapting Federalism: Indigenous Multilevel Governance in Canada and the United States
14. A Reconsideration of Environmental Federalism
15. The Welfare Economics of Autarky, Federalism, and Federation Formation
16. An Introduction to the Analysis of Federalism
17. A Description of American Federalism as a Form of Government in Which the Constitution Distributes Governmental Powers
18. Between the National Government
19. The Lessons That The American Experience With Federalism
20. The Institutional Basis of Secessionist Politics: Federalism and Secession in the United States
21. An Analysis of Federalism and the French Canadians, an Ideological Anthology by Pierre Elliot Trudeau
22. What Makes Strong Federalism Seem Weak? Fiscal Resources and Presidential-Provincial Relations in Argentina
23. The Origin in Forming a Governmental Structure in Favor of the Newly Formed Constitution of Federalism
24. Understanding the Concept of Federalism in Political Science
25. The Use of Federalism in the Philippines Under the Administration of President Duterte
26. Abortion: The Impact of Federalism and the Separation of Power
27. The Role of Liberty and Democracy in the Enhancement of the Principles of Canadian Federalism in the Present and Future
28. Bargaining for Fiscal Control: Tax Federalism in Brazil and Mexico, 1870-1940

❓ Federalism Essay Questions

1. What Are Advantages and Disadvantages of Division of Powers and Checks and Balances and Federalism?
2. Who Limits Environmental Federalism in Croatia?
3. What Was the New Deal and Why Was It So Important in Terms of Federalism?
4. How Has Federalism Changed the Nation?
5. What Explains the Paradox of Tobacco Control Policy Under Federalism in the U.S. And Canada?
6. Does Federalism Weaken Democratic Representation in the United States?
7. What Makes Strong Federalism Seem Weak?
8. Why Did Framers Choose Federalism?
9. What Is a Benefit of Federalism?
10. How Has Federalism Changed Since the Ratification of the Constitution?
11. What Role Does the “Federalism Bonus” Play in Presidential Selection?
12. Can Courts Make Federalism Work?
13. How Does Federalism Protect Future Generations From Today’s Public Debts?
14. What Is the 10th Amendment and Why Is It So Important to Understanding Federalism?
15. Does Federalism Induce Patients’ Mobility Across Regions?
16. How Has Indian Federalism Done?
17. What Was the Great Society and Why Was It So Important in Terms of Federalism?
18. Does Fiscal Federalism Promote Regional Inequality?
19. How Have Federal Mandates Effected the Ideas of Federalism?
20. Does Nature Limit Environmental Federalism?
21. What Issues Most Influence Federalism Today?
22. How Does Modern Federalism Work Effectively in a Complex, Networked World?
23. What Are the Differences Between “Separation of Powers” and “Federalism”?
24. Who Honors the Rules of Federalism?
25. What Is Cooperative Federalism?
26. Why Does Procedural Federalism Remain in the USA?
27. What Is the Main Purpose of Federalism in Government?
28. How Does Russian Federalism Work?
29. What Did the Federalists Believe Threatened the Nation in the Election of 1800?
30. Why Is Federalism Important to the Constitution?