Federalist Form
The United States Constitution provides for dual federalism with "expressed powers" delegated to the Federal government, "reserved powers" delegated to the states, and "concurrent powers" shared between the states and the Federal government. This form of government was established after the failure of the Articles of Confederation in order to provide for a Federal government that is strong enough to provide for national defense and unite the states while at the same time is limited in power and reserves many rights to the states.
There has been a shift in recent years from dual federalism, also known as Layer Cake Federalism, where the powers of each level of government are clearly defined, to cooperative federalism, also known as Marble Cake Federalism, with the powers of government not being as clearly defined and with the federal government getting more involved in local issues. For example, the Federal government passed a a coercive measure threatening to withhold highway transportation funds from states that refused to instate a .10 legal blood alcohol limit for driving.
There has been a shift in recent years from dual federalism, also known as Layer Cake Federalism, where the powers of each level of government are clearly defined, to cooperative federalism, also known as Marble Cake Federalism, with the powers of government not being as clearly defined and with the federal government getting more involved in local issues. For example, the Federal government passed a a coercive measure threatening to withhold highway transportation funds from states that refused to instate a .10 legal blood alcohol limit for driving.