Florida Supreme Court approves ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Gonzales v. Raich. Dealing with the Commerce Clause and the government's regulatory powers, this lesson asks students to trace and evaluate the evolution of the Supreme Court's interpretation of Congress's commerce power in light of the principle of federalism.

This lesson includes a variety of activities and primary source excerpts, providing students with a comprehensive study of federalism. Through the Constitution’s system of federalism, power is divided between national and subnational governments. Federalism allows citizens to make policy decisions at state and local levels. Decentralization draws individuals out of private life and compels civic engagement.

This Homework Help narrative explores the history of the Founding of the U.S. and the reasons why federalism was created as an important part of our constitutional system. The video challenges viewers to consider this question: why we have a system with local, state, and federal laws?