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Briefly describe the philosophy informing "cooperative federalism."?

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Final answer:

Cooperative federalism is a collaborative federalism model between national and state governments to address national issues, characterized by overlapping powers and jurisdictions. It emerged as a response to crises such as the Great Depression, contributing to the nationalization of politics and increased federal aid and flexibility for states.

Step-by-step explanation:

Cooperative federalism is a philosophy of federalism where the national government and state governments collaborate to solve national problems, leading to a blending of their jurisdictions and responsibilities. This model, conceptualized as marble-cake federalism, emerged in stark contrast to dual federalism, where the powers and responsibilities of the federal and state governments were distinctly separated. The New Deal and Great Society programs are prime examples of cooperative federalism, where the federal government increased its power and involvement in policy areas previously managed by states, substantially changing the dynamics between the different layers of government.

During periods of cooperative federalism, such as the responses to the Great Depression and the civil rights era, federal and state powers often overlapped in areas of concurrent powers like taxation and law enforcement. The approach facilitated the nationalization of politics and the rise of federal legislative activism directed at addressing broader national issues. It also led to increased federal aid to states and greater administrative flexibility for local governments in managing social welfare programs. However, it sometimes resulted in varying levels of benefits and coverage across states due to the differences in how localities implemented these flexible federal programs.

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