In the US, federalism is a characteristic of our form of government that shares governmental powers between
the federal government and the 50 state governments. The US Constitution distributes certain of those powers
to the federal government, but reserves the remaining governmental powers (per the US Constitution's 10th
amendment) to the states.
Over the Nation’s two centuries of existence there has been much controversy about what governmental
powers should be exercised by the two levels of government. Currently, much controversy centers on whether
or not the federal government and state governments encroached upon or are encroaching upon individual
rights and liberties in response to the Coronavirus.
Start your research by reading the US Constitution’s Article I, Section 8, Article I, Section 10, and its 10th
Amendment (as well as the rest of the Constitution and other sources). Also, read the Texas Constitution’s
relevant provisions as well as Texas Government Code, Chapter 418. That Chapter empowers the Texas
Governor to issue orders to protect Texas residents in situations where the public’s welfare is threatened. One
of the things that you should note is that the restrictions placed upon all of us are, for the most part, a functionof state governments and not the Federal government.
Despite the fact that the aforementioned restrictions only emerged a few months ago, there is already a
plethora of information available about and commentary on the necessity or propriety of those restrictions,
government’s role, and threats to liberty. You may consider that governments have and are acting appropriately
in response to the virus; on the other hand, you may find that they are not, that the restrictions are unnecessary
or too onerous.
Either way, you are to compose a paper that addresses those governmental actions. To prompt your thinking,
here are some things to consider:
What is the issue?
Briefly describe this issue
What is the controversy?
What are the differences between advocates and opponents of it?
How does the issue affect individuals, economics, and society in general?
What do you think is the primary role of government in such a situation as this? Why?
What should be the role of each level of government?
What do the US and Texas Constitutions say about it?
What is the history of governments’ actions in similar situations?
Are governments doing enough or too little or too much?
Should primary responses to the virus be by the federal government or by state governments?
As of this writing, the US Congress has already made available or is considering making available over $6
trillion in aid to governments, businesses, and individuals in response to the virus. Is that appropriate?
Sample Solution