Administrative Law
Lifetime Driver’s License Revocation: Rules in Each State
A lifetime or permanent driver’s license revocation does not always mean never driving again. In Florida, a driver whose license was permanently revoked after four or…
Federalism
Federalism is the system that divides government power between a national government and state governments. In the United States, each level has its own powers, its own laws, and its own voters, and they often share responsibility for the same issues. The topic covers how the Constitution splits power, how levels of government work together or clash, and why the states differ.
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Latest in Federalism
Federal vs. State Powers
Can States Block Federal Immigration Enforcement? The Anti-Commandeering Doctrine
Minnesota deployed lawyers and courts against what federal officials called Operation Metro Surge—the real question is whether states have any power to resist when the federal…
Federal vs. State Powers
What It Takes for States to Sue the Federal Government—And Why They Usually Lose
A federal judge in Minnesota denied the state's request to halt a massive immigration enforcement operation. The court acknowledged the state might have a constitutional case—but…
Federal vs. State Powers
Can the Federal Government Demand State Data in Exchange for Policy Changes?
In late January 2026, approximately one week before February 2, twenty-two state attorneys general sent a letter that amounted to a single word: No. No, the…
Topics in Federalism
Who holds power
Questions about which level of government may act on an issue are covered under Federal vs. State Powers.
How governments relate
The working relationship between Washington and the states, including money, mandates, and shared duties, is covered under Federal-state Relations, and the ways governments join forces are covered under Intergovernmental Cooperation.
Differences among states
Why the same issue is handled differently from one state to the next is covered under State Policy Variation.
All Articles on Federalism
How States Fight Back When They Believe Federal Demands Are Unconstitutional
On January 24, 2026, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent Minnesota Governor Tim Walz a letter that read less like routine federal correspondence and…
Inside the Minneapolis Hearing on Federal Power Over State Police
A question that rarely gets tested in federal court with this kind of urgency is being examined in Minneapolis: Can the federal government flood…
The Constitutional Limits on Federal Coercion of State Cooperation
On January 25, 2026, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent Governor Tim Walz a letter demanding Minnesota's complete voter registration database, Medicaid records, and food…
The Tenth Amendment Limit: When Federal Agents Can’t Commandeer Local Police
Minnesota accumulated 3,000 overtime hours in four days responding to federal immigration enforcement. On January 12, 2026, Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a federal…
Can States Bill the Federal Government for Operations They Didn’t Request?
Minneapolis has spent over $2 million on police overtime in just four days—not for a natural disaster or local emergency, but to respond to…
Big Tech’s Push to Stop States From Regulating AI
As generative AI affects every sector of the economy, from healthcare diagnostics to creative industries, the legal frameworks governing these technologies are in a…
Do Sanctuary Policies Work?
The question of whether sanctuary policies "make a difference" is being tested in federal courtrooms, city budget hearings, and neighborhood streets across the nation.…
REAL ID Enforcement: What It Requires and the $45 TSA Fee
For nearly two decades, the implementation of the REAL ID Act of 2005 has loomed on the horizon: a legislative mandate designed to standardize…
How Trump is Working to Shrink the Department of Education
The Trump Administration has managed a comprehensive effort in 2025 to dramatically reduce the size and influence of the U.S. Department of Education (ED).…
How Federal Actions Affect Costs for States and Cities
In October 2025, Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency in response to a wave of federal immigration raids. Officials said the raids…