American Gov 101 Federalism Today I. Grants Today, the clearest exercise of federalism, and a chief tool in the expansion of federal power, is the grant system. There are 3 kinds of grants: a. Categorical Grant: A grant for a specific project which must be approved and reviewed by the federal government. b. Block Grant: A grant for a general function (health, law enforcement, etc.) These grants have some conditions and reporting requirements. They are distributed on …showed first 75 words of 321 total…

…showed last 75 words of 321 total…revenue sharing. States not enthusiastic because end-result was often increased responsibility (and expectations) of the local government while there was a reduction in funding to local governments. III. Current Issues: Preemption--related to supremacy clause Unfunded mandates--When the national government requires that the states do something but does not give them the funds to do it. Examples:  School desegregation  Minimum Drinking Age  Minimum Wage Laws National Limitation of state freedoms:  Abortion Rights  Term Limits ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**