Your job is to create a one to two page mini e-textbook (See video posted below for directions on how to do this in PowerPoint) designed to teach someone about the role that the Supreme Court plays in defining US federalism. At a minimum (meaning, if you hit all of these components and it is organized well, you will get 100%!) , your book should contain the following information:
1. A description of US federalism that includes: A) a definition, B) a discussion about how it is different from other types of government, C) a broad and general overview of how the constitution delineates powers between states and the feds. You should reference the constitutional sources of state and federal power here and give a few examples of both.
2. A general discussion about the potential for conflict with a couple specific examples (for instance, you could discuss how the interstate commerce clause is vague so it isn’t always readily clear what powers congress has. Or, you could focus discuss how state laws sometimes conflict with constitutional clauses like the Equal Protections Clause or how sometimes things are legalized at the state level even though the federal government says they are illegal, etc) AND the role the court plays in settling those conflicts.
3. A detailed description of TWO Supreme Court cases to illustrate how the court impacts federalism. This should include A) a brief description of the facts in the case, B) a description of the constitutional question to be settled, C) a discussion of how the court ruled and the impact their ruling had on federalism (for instance, did it increase the powers of congress? Did it decrease state power or preserve state power?)