Federalism and COVID-19

Federalism is the constitutional division of power between the national and sub-national (states) governments. This division of power is less a result of some lofty theory or principle from the Enlightenment period, but rather a practical arrangement to satisfy the various interests and positions of the framers of the Constitution. However, it has become a principle and theory upon government formation that, today, shapes the world and is held as a powerful ideological belief. This belief is held by politicians, citizens and radical fanatics alike. It has become a cause that many believe is necessary to prevent centralized power and tyrannical notions. For others, it is seen as necessary, but at times, an impediment to necessary national standards and unity toward specific policy measures; measures such as education, election and legal standards. Although there is a division of power between the national and state governments, there is no guarantee of equality of power. In other words, there are specific powers designated to the national government by the U.S. Constitution, specific powers designated to the states, and certain overlapping, or what are called concurrent, powers that both the national and state governments share. Given that distribution of power, the balance of power between the federal and state governments shifts over time.(This was the explanation of federalism from the textbook my class uses.) Thank You