The U.S. government’s expansive role in public policy is caught ina swirl of conflicting cross-currents. On the one hand, popularexpectations about government’s responsibility to solve problemsoften exceed the capacity of state and local authorities to respondeffectively. On the other hand, policies developed at the nationallevel may not sufficiently reflect the great diversity of interestsacross the U.S. to be effective at the local level. Moreover, thesearch for effective policy is further complicated by theoreticaldebates about the constitutional framework of federalism, e.g.,what limits on national power can be derived from the 10thAmendment?
Select a policy issue that is in the middle of these cross-currentsbetween national, state, and local authority. It must be a policyarea other than education (the focus of Discussion One inWeek Two). Some examples include: federal health care policy (e.g.,“Obamacare”, Medicaid – not Medicare); federal transportationpolicy (e.g., federal transportation subsidies); federal highwaypolicy (e.g., federal rules about the minimum drinking age, speedlimits, or safety); federal urban planning and renewal policy;federal poverty, welfare and unemployment policies; nationalsecurity policies that intersect/conflict with local police power;and federal disaster planning and relief. These are only examples.The policy area that you select must have a significant“federalism” component that requires national, state, and localinteraction. It should also involve issues with a strongpotential for tension or conflict among different levels ofgovernment.
Research and write an essay on a specific policy in the area thatyou select. (Note: The word “policy” is used interchangeably withthe word “program.”) Your essay must:





