The Living Constitution

REDEFINING FEDERALISM

The Framers of the Constitution sought to balance the rights of individual States and the powers of the new federal government. Their solution was a federal system, which divides powers between the two levels of government. Although the Constitution is the "supreme Law of the Land," questions about States' rights and national power have arisen throughout American history, as the Supreme Court cases on this time line show.

Click on the description of each entry to read about these States' rights issues.

Questions for Discussion

When did the Court first decide that State authorities must observe the civil rights protected by the Bill of Rights?

What trend can you see in the Supreme Court decisions in the 1990s?

time line

1999 1997 1972 1964 1925 1886 1824 1819