Final answer:
Cooperative federalism refers to a system where the federal government and states share responsibilities and work together to solve national issues. Emerging during the New Deal era to address the Great Depression, this system caused a blur in the jurisdictional lines, allowing both government levels to engage in policy areas formerly reserved for just one. This resulted in a 'marble cake' style of administration, where powers and responsibilities are intertwined.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cooperative federalism is a system where the federal government and states share responsibilities and coordinate their actions to solve national problems. This concept is sometimes described as 'marble-cake federalism,' with the responsibilities and powers of the states and the federal government intertwined and not strictly separated, like the swirling pattern of a marble cake. This system emerged during the New Deal era, in the mid to late 20th century, as a response to national crises like the Great Depression.
The roots of cooperative federalism can be traced back to the Great Depression of the 1930s. During this time, widespread economic hardship prompted both the federal government and the states to take action, resulting in joint efforts to address the issues faced by the country. Things such as the social welfare and social insurance programs were administered by both state and federal authorities and were jointly funded. This era of cooperative federalism contributed to a blurring of the jurisdictional lines between the states and the national government, with both levels of government becoming involved in policy areas that had previously been the exclusive domain of one or the other.
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