Final answer:
The era of cooperative federalism began with the response to the Great Depression, markedly during the New Deal era. It represented a blended approach between federal and state governments to address national issues, transitioning from the more segregated model of dual federalism to a 'marble-cake' model. The New Deal served as the primary catalyst for this shift in federal-state relations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The era of cooperative federalism in the United States was ushered in by the challenges of the Great Depression and further developed through the civil rights movement and the expansion of social welfare programs. This period was marked by a significant blend of federal and state efforts to address national problems, symbolized by Morton Grodzins's metaphor of 'marble-cake federalism'. Cooperative federalism is characterized by the joint administration of programs like those established under the New Deal and the Great Society, with both federal and state governments playing integral roles.
Dual federalism preceded cooperative federalism, with clear delineation between state and federal jurisdictions, akin to a 'layer-cake' model. However, during cooperative federalism, there was a more intertwined relationship, leading to a 'marble-cake' federal system. The New Deal, a series of programs and policies established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, served as the primary catalyst for this transition and fundamentally altered the dynamics between the national and state governments.
Attempts to reverse this trend towards a more centralized federal authority came with 'New Federalism' initiated during the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, with an emphasis on returning powers to the states, marked by initiatives such as general revenue sharing and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981.