Answer:
1787: Constitution creates the first federal system The newly drafted Constitution included a system that would share powers between the states and the national government.
1800s: dual federalism / layer cake federalism National and state governments have defined and separate duties, and each wields roughly the same amount of power. Called layer cake federalism because there are distinct layers.
1861–1865: Civil War The end of the war and the beginning of Reconstruction meant greater federal involvement in issues that had often been handled by states.
1933: New Deal / cooperative federalism / marble cake federalism New Deal programs required cooperation across all levels of government to fix national problems associated with the Great Depression. Government roles are not completely separated as with layer cake federalism. Instead, responsibilities of each level become intertwined, more like a marble cake.
1964: start of Great Society In creating the welfare state, the national government takes on a more active role in trying to end poverty and discrimination. The federal government gives funds to states based on policy set by the national government, not by what the states say they want or need. This marks a huge increase in federal power.
1980s and 1990s: new federalism / devolution revolution President Reagan begins a move to give more administrative powers back to states, allowing states to have more of a say in how they use grants from the national government. This move to roll back national power continues in the 1990s.
2010: progressive federalism The federal government helps states push progressive legislation that is gridlocked at the national level, allowing Americans to use the local and state governments to push minority rights, environmental protection laws, etc.
