LAW PA513 WEEK 2 PAPER.docx LAW/PA513 Role of the Courts University of Phoenix LA/PA513

LAW PA513 WEEK 2 PAPER.docx  LAW/PA513  Role of the Courts University of Phoenix LA/PA513  Role of the Courts  Federalism started many years ago, but the battle between the state and the federal government over its jurisdiction is still going on. The division of power between the federal and state governments are not clear enough to determine which one has more jurisdiction over its citizens under certain circumstances. When a situation comes up when both the state and federal government overlaps their powers, they must go to the courts. The courts determine if the government or federal state has jurisdiction in that situation. There are many cases where the courts have set precedents that must be followed.  Role of the Courts & Intergovernmental Relations  Federalism is considered an institutional arrangement that created the state and the federal government. The constitution granted both governments the capacity to act directly on behalf of their citizens. The federal government is responsible for handling matters that affect the county as a whole and the state governments are responsible for matters that lie within their regions. Even though both governments are somewhat independent of each other, there are sometimes when they need the cooperation of the other government.  Federalism is defined as the essential allocation of power among federal and state governments (Milakovich et al., 2013). Historically, the relationship between the federal and state governments have been defined by the courts, Cong