The State of American Federalism 2014–15: Pathways to Policy in an Era of Party Polarization

Shanna Rose and Cynthia J. Bowling

Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 2015, vol. 45, issue 3, 351-379

Abstract: The state of American federalism in 2014–2015 is characterized by inertia and centrifugal force. Party polarization and divided government exacerbate gridlock at the federal level as President Obama faces Republican majorities in both houses of Congress. Policy activity has shifted outward to state legislatures and citizens, the federal and state executive branches, and the court system, creating a diverse set of alternative institutional pathways and outcomes. Some policies, like Medicaid and K-12 education, are largely shaped by federal-state executive branch negotiations, leading to individualized state programs. Other policies—such as marijuana, gun, and immigration laws—are made by state legislatures or citizens acting through the initiative process. Meanwhile, a series of court decisions has doubled the number of states where same-sex marriage is legal. In the current political context, American federalism is characterized by a substantial dispersion of power and a variety of pathways to policy-making.

Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/publius/pjv028 (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:publus:v:45:y:2015:i:3:p:351-379.

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://academic.oup.com/journals

Access Statistics for this article

Publius: The Journal of Federalism is currently edited by Paul Nolette and Philip Rocco

More articles in Publius: The Journal of Federalism from CSF Associates Inc. Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Oxford University Press ().