We The People

Federalism under President Trump

January 18, 2018

Share

The relationship between the federal  government and the states is currently at the center of controversies about sports gambling, marijuana use and sanctuary cities policies.

In the past year, these and related issues have come before federal courts, including the Supreme Court. Last month, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Christie v. NCAA, a case that examines whether a federal law that prohibits the modification or repeal of state gambling laws violates the Tenth Amendment and the anti-commandeering doctrine that bars the federal government from imposing certain costs on local government.

The anti-commandeering doctrine is also at the heart of several federal lawsuits about the legal status of sanctuary cities. And Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to reverse marijuana prosecution guidelines for federal attorneys in states with legal recreational marijuana has broad potential constitutional implications.

Joining Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to discuss these questions are two leading national constitutional experts.

FULL PODCAST

PARTICIPANTS

Michael Dorf is Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell Law School. He has written over 80 scholarly articles and essays on constitutional law and related subjects. 

 

Ilya Shapiro is is a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute and editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review. 

 

Jeffrey Rosen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Constitution Center, the only institution in America chartered by Congress “to disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” He is also a professor at The George Washington University Law School, and a contributing editor for The Atlantic. 


Related Decisions and Documents


Stay Connected and Learn More

Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.

Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.

Please subscribe to We the People and our companion podcast, Live at America’s Town Hall, on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

We the People is a member of Slate’s Panoply network. Check out the full roster of podcasts at Panoply.fm.

The Constitution Center is offering CLE credits for select America’s Town Hall programs! In-person and on-demand credit is now available in Pennsylvania, with more states to come soon.

And finally, despite our congressional charter, the National Constitution Center is a private nonprofit; we receive little government support, and we rely on the generosity of people around the country who are inspired by our nonpartisan mission of constitutional debate and education. Please consider becoming a member to support our work, including this podcast. 

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you. Contact the We the People team at [email protected]

Loading...

Explore Further

Podcast
Pork, The Dormant Commerce Clause, and Legislating Morality

Recapping the Supreme Court’s oral arguments in National Pork Producers v. Ross

Town Hall Video
Social Media and Public Health: A Conversation Featuring State Attorneys General

Attorneys General Doug Peterson and Phil Weiser discuss social media, public health, and the law.

Blog Post
On this day, the Supreme Court rules on vaccines and public health

In the face of future public health emergencies like the Coronavirus, a precedential Supreme Court decision about the…

More from the National Constitution Center
Constitution 101

Explore our new 15-unit core curriculum with educational videos, primary texts, and more.

Media Library

Search and browse videos, podcasts, and blog posts on constitutional topics.

Founders’ Library

Discover primary texts and historical documents that span American history and have shaped the American constitutional tradition.

News & Debate