The Ongoing Debate Over the Division of Powers Between the National Government and the States

The ongoing debate on the division of powers between the national government and the states began with the founding of the republic in 1787 and still continues today. In 1787 the debate over the division of power began with the federalists and the anti-federalists. More recently, the Republicans started an effort to slow the growth of the federal government by returning many of the functions back to the state, called the Devolution Revolution. The U.S. Supreme court continues to make decisions that have a direct impact on the power given to the states in relation to the federal governme…