Cooperative Federalism:The Marble Cake

It may sound like a delicious treat that you want to avoid during a strict diet, but the marble cake that is referred to by political scientists is much less delicious but still very beneficial.  In Layer Cake Federalism, all powers and roles are strictly separated and clearly defined. Layer Cake Federalism's seperation of layers comes from the 10th amendment, which gives all powers not granted to the national government over to the state governments.

Although this may sound like a tasty piece of cake, I do not completely agree with this system. Layer cake Federalism, also known as Dual Federalism, creates a seperation that could supress different progressive movements such as the civil rights movement for African-Americans or the LGBT freedom's movement. I believe this because when you create a clear divide between the nation and the state for any reason, the divide runs deeper than just the filling in the cake. For example, with LGBT rights, because the 10th Amendment gives questions of marriage to the states, a couple that gets married in a state where Same-Sex Marriage is legal may not have their union recognized by another state in which it is not legal. This lack of across the board policy can create harsh discrimination and is very harmful.

Although it is a good thing to define powers, there should be room for each side to fight for the rights of human beings.

The shift to a more Marble Cake Federalism or Cooperative Federalism, where there is an intertwined relationship between the national, state and local governments, began with the social programs of the New Deal. Social Welfare programs such as the New Deal and Lyndon B Johnson's Great Society allowed for more intervention with local governments but also allowed for cities and smaller governments to get more exposure. With these programs we saw great improvements in harsh times like the Great Depression. But advancements made for this type of federalism were strongly opposed to in the 1970's and 80's by Republicans who were adamantly against big government.

In summation….THE MARBLE CAKE IS DELICIOUS!