POL201Y1 Lecture 4: POL203 Lecture 04.docx
Document Summary
States and national government operate within their own spheres. Education, public works, etc. is for the states. Congress continues to use states to set policy goals. Only supplies small fractions of funds to states. States have to carry out objectives at their own expense. The progressive era and conflict over federalism: examples. Felt that decentralized government wasn"t going to work anymore. States could not effectively regulate railroads on their own. Too easy to bribe and corrupt state legislatures. Imposed decisions that were not clearly authorized by congress. Courts would say we"re not sure congress can create institution that create rules on their own. Attempt to regulate within the current constitutional boundaries is hard. Trusts are organizations of various firms to obey state limitations on monopolies. Court was unwilling to allow national governments to regulate corporations that were not engaged in interstate commerce. Supreme court says their not engaged in inter state commerce. Just making sugar in a lot of places.
