Federalism under President Trump

The relationship between the federal  government and the states is currently at the center of controversies about sports gambling, marijuana use and sanctuary cities policies. In the past year, these and related issues have come before federal courts, including the Supreme Court. In December 2017, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Christie v. NCAA, a case that examines whether a federal law that prohibits the modification or repeal of state gambling laws violates the Tenth Amendment and the anti-commandeering doctrine that bars the federal government from imposing certain costs on local government. The anti-commandeering doctrine is also at the heart of several federal lawsuits about the legal status of sanctuary cities. And Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to reverse marijuana prosecution guidelines for federal attorneys in states with legal recreational marijuana has broad potential constitutional implications. Joining Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to discuss these questions are two leading national constitutional experts. Michael Dorf is Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell Law School. Ilya Shapiro is a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute and editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review. Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you. Contact the We the People team at [email protected] And don't forget to take our new podcast survey at constitutioncenter.org/survey