American Federalism Today - by Michael J Boskin (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

What are federalism's challenges and opportunities today?

The framers of the US Constitution enumerated specific powers for the federal government, leaving all else under the purview of states or the people. Over time, the federal government has expanded its role, yet the American people have more trust in state and local governments that are closer to them--and where co-partisanship is often a matter of necessity. Scholars and practitioners in policymaking gathered at the Hoover Institution in September 2023 to discuss the ramifications of federalism for contemporary issues. American Federalism Today presents those conference proceedings.

Renowned experts from a range of disciplines, including economics, political science, history, and law, lay out the key priorities in evaluating and reinvigorating America's federal system of governance. Among the topics they examine are infrastructure, education and healthcare financing, trust in government, and intergovernmental relations in an era of rising federal debt and unfunded state and local liabilities. Three influential governors--Mitch Daniels, Jeb Bush, and Jerry Brown--describe navigating the federalist system as they led their states through many challenges. This unique compilation draws on the remarkable expertise and experience of its contributors to probe federalism's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges in the nation's political and economic governance.

Review Quotes

"A fascinating journey through the complex jumble that American federalism most certainly is."
--Larry Kramer, president and vice chancellor, London School of Economics

"We still do not fully understand the political robustness of federal arrangements. This volume is an important contribution to the effort to learn."
--John Ferejohn, professor of law and politics, New York University School of Law

"Rich in the history, theory, and contemporary practice of American federalism. . . . There's much inside to stimulate both new and continuing students of federalism."
--Jeff Clemens, associate professor of economics, University of California-San Diego

"We're at a governance moment: the loci of policy are moving to state and local governments. American Federalism Today is the book for the moment."
--Robert P. Inman, professor emeritus of finance, economics, and public policy, University of Pennsylvania, and coauthor of Democratic Federalism: The Economics, Politics, and Law of Federal Governance

"American federalism has gone through many phases, so it cannot be understood from just one perspective. This is a volume that every scholar of federalism will want to read."
--Barry R. Weingast, Ward C. Krebs Family Professor of political science, Stanford University

"A wide-ranging assessment of both the economics and the politics of federalism in the United States, identifying virtues, weaknesses, and key lessons for policy design."
--James Poterba, professor of economics, MIT, and president, National Bureau of Economic Research

About the Author

Michael J. Boskin is the Wohlford Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, the Tully M. Friedman Professor of Economics at Stanford University, and former chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers.

Condoleezza Rice (foreword) was the sixty-sixth US secretary of state under George W. Bush. She is currently the director of the Hoover Institution.