Since the ratification of the Constitution, which established a union of states under a federal system of governance, two questions have generated considerable debate: What is the nature of the union? What powers, privileges, duties, and responsibilities does the Constitution grant to the national government and reserve for the states and the people? During the more than 200-year history of the Constitution, these issues have been debated time and again and have shaped and been shaped by the nation's political, social, and economic history. This book examines the history and current issues of federalism.