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1 - The Origins of American Federalism

A Tourist’s Guide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

Stephen H. Legomsky
Affiliation:
Washington University, St Louis
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Summary

This chapter provides a rough summary of how the United States came to be a federation of states rather than a unitary nation. To that end, it offers a thumbnail sketch of the timeline from the British colonial period to adoption of the US Constitution. The debates at the constitutional convention and the advocacy in both the Federalist and Antifederalist Papers are highlighted, with particular emphasis on the role of state sovereignty and the menu of choices that were open to the framers.

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Chapter
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Reimagining the American Union
The Case for Abolishing State Government
, pp. 12 - 33
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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