Final answer:
The term that describes the federal government's use of mandates to influence state policies and pass costs down to them is Coercive federalism. This reflects a shift from more cooperative approaches of federalism to one where the federal authority exerts more control over state actions.
Step-by-step explanation:
As federal regulations became more intrusive, forcing states to change their policies in order to meet national goals, some people began calling our system a Coercive federalism. This term was used by scholars such as John Kincaid to describe a trend in U.S. federalism where the federal government uses mandates to fulfill its national priorities, often passing most of the cost to the states. Such mandates may be attractive for national lawmakers trying to cut federal spending, despite being at odds with the idea of New Federalism, which calls for giving states and local governments more flexibility in carrying out national goals.
The use of fiscal federalism by the national government through various financial instruments, including the imposition of unfunded mandates, has been a way to influence state laws and policies. It continues to shape the way in which federal and state governments interact, often leading to confrontational interactions when state and federal agendas conflict.