Video and Multimedia

Audio

 

Supreme Court's Oral Arguments on Health Care and the Commerce Clause

Learning Objective: 3.2 Identify the kinds of constitutional protections that guard against an overly powerful national government

 

Multimedia

 

Federalism and Marijuana Legalization

Learning Objective: 3.4 Explain the ways in which the national government dominates the modern federal system; 3.5 Assess to what extent collective action dilemmas influenced modern federal

 

Video

 

Federalism

Questions to Consider:

  1. How does the video define dual federalism? Why is it called “layered cake” federalism?
  2. In what ways did the New Deal change the distribution of power between the states and national government?
  3. How do grants and aid granted by the federal government encourage the states to cooperate?
  4. Explain the concept of “marbled cake” or cooperative federalism

Learning Objective: 3.1 Describe federalism and the way it evolved in the United States; 3.4 Explain the ways in which the national government dominates the modern federal system

 

Gay Marriage Showdown in Alabama

Questions to Consider:

  1. Given the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution can county probate judges in Alabama choose to ignore the federal court ruling requiring them to begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples? Why or why not?

Learning Objective: 3.2 Identify the kinds of constitutional protections that guard against an overly powerful national government

 

Federalism and the Affordable Care Act

Questions to Consider:

  1. What legal argument did the Supreme Court majority cite as the reason they upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate?

Learning Objective: 3.3 Discuss the factors contributing to a shift word nationalized public policy

 

Washington DC and Pot Legalization

Learning Objective: 3.4 Explain the ways in which the national government dominates the modern federal system; 3.5 Assess to what extent collective action dilemmas influenced modern federalism

 

Libertarian Think Tan Argue that Congress Has Gone Too Far

Learning Objective: 3.4 Explain the ways in which the national government dominates the modern federal system; 3.5 Assess to what extent collective action dilemmas influenced modern federalism