In their attempt to balance order with liberty, the Founders
identified several reasons for creating a federalist government:
As James Madison pointed out in The Federalist, No. 10, If
"factious leaders kindle a flame within their particular
states," national leaders can check the spread of the
"conflagration through the other states." So federalism prevents
a person that takes control of a state from easily taking
control of the federal governments as well. Electing both state
and national officials also increases the input of citizens into
their government. And if a state adopts a disastrous new policy,
at least it would not be a catastrophe for everyone. On the
other hand, if a state's new programs work well, other states
can adopt their ideas and adjust them to their own needs. The
Constitution gives three types of power to the national
government: 1. Delegated (sometimes called enumerated or
expressed) powers are specifically granted to the federal
government in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.