Federalism is a political system comprised of several local units of government and one national government that can both make decisions with respect to at least some governmental activities and whose existence is specially protected. Sovereignty is shared so that on some matters the national government is supreme, and on some matters the state governments are supreme. But in the last twenty-five years, the increase of federal mandates on state and local governments has shifted …showed first 75 words of 586 total…

…showed last 75 words of 586 total…the United States. Sovereignty is becoming less equally shared between state and national governments. The increase in federal mandates has caused the federal government to become more powerful, and therefore exercise even more influence of the people. As they have continued to become more powerful, more mandates have been enacted. And even though Congress has begun to try to reduce these unfunded mandates, they are still causing an imbalance of power in the United States.