Horizontal/Vertical Federalism

Horizontal / Vertical Federalism

Horizontal Federalism involves interactions and distribution of power among the 50 states. The Constitution forbids members of one branch of government belonging to another. However, this separation is in theory as opposed to fact. For government at any level to be effective all bodies involved must co-operate. If there is no co-operation then government itself deteriorates and the branches of government involved in this will lose legitimacy in the eyes of the public. Therefore, bargaining and negotiation are commonplace.

Vertical Federalism is viewed as the traditional form of federalism as it sees the actions of the national government as supreme within their constitutional sphere. The Constitution has granted to the Federal government power over foreign policy, defense, monetary policy and the regulation of commerce between the States. The rest of government is left, in theory, to the States and to local government which derive their authority from the States. The States cannot be independent from the national government as they simply would not survive. They are interdependent and interactive with the Federal government bound together by complex financial and administrative patterns.