Final answer:
The national government justified imposing federal mandates for civil rights policies, like desegregation and affirmative action, using the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. Federal mandates have also been enacted to ensure compliance with civil rights objectives, linking federal funding to adherence to these mandates, which has been met with both support and backlash.
Step-by-step explanation:
The national government has used federal mandates as a means to enforce civil rights legislation, particularly through the justification provided by the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. The use of federal mandates such as school busing, desegregation, and affirmative action arose from the need to address systemic racial discrimination and to fulfill national priorities concerning equality and civil rights.
For instance, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, gave the federal government authority to enforce anti-discrimination measures in education through withholding federal funds from non-compliant institutions. Programs like busing were implemented to desegregate schools, leading to interracial interactions and educational opportunities that were previously unattainable. However, these mandates were not without controversy, leading to debates and legal challenges, including Supreme Court rulings that have since restricted such practices.
Moreover, the tie between federal funding and mandate compliance, as seen in acts like the No Child Left Behind, represents a continuation of the federal government's strategy to achieve national objectives, often shifting the cost to states and resulting in confrontations with state governments over the balance of power and autonomy.