new federalism
C1/C2Academic, Political, Formal Journalism
Definition
Meaning
A political philosophy advocating a shift of power from the national government back to state governments, often through block grants and reduced federal oversight.
A policy approach, particularly associated with U.S. Presidents Nixon and Reagan, that sought to decentralize authority by returning certain administrative and fiscal responsibilities to state and local levels, while maintaining federal funding through less restrictive grants.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to a specific historical policy movement in U.S. politics; not simply 'new' plus 'federalism' but a defined concept. Often used critically by opponents to suggest a retreat from national standards or civil rights enforcement.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Primarily an American political term. In British contexts, it might be used in comparative politics or discussions of devolution, but lacks direct domestic application.
Connotations
US: Associated with conservative/Republican policy, states' rights, and 1970s-80s politics. UK/EU: May be used analytically to discuss decentralization in other federations (e.g., EU subsidiarity).
Frequency
Very low frequency in general English; almost exclusively found in political science, history, and advanced news analysis.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
New federalism + verb (aimed, sought, proposed, involved)Under new federalism, + clauseThe move toward new federalism + resultVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A new federalism for a new century”
- “The gospel of new federalism”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might appear in analysis of government contracting or regulatory environments.
Academic
Primary context. Political science, public administration, 20th-century U.S. history.
Everyday
Extremely rare outside formal political discussion.
Technical
Specific to public policy and intergovernmental relations literature.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The government sought to new-federalise welfare provision.
- They argued for new-federalising the approach.
American English
- The administration aimed to new-federalize key programs.
- The plan proposed new-federalizing housing policy.
adverb
British English
- The powers were devolved new-federalistly, with block grants.
- He argued new-federalistly for state autonomy.
American English
- The system was redesigned new-federalistically.
- They governed new-federalistically, reducing mandates.
adjective
British English
- The new-federalist agenda faced parliamentary scrutiny.
- He adopted a new-federalist stance.
American English
- The new-federalist approach defined his governorship.
- She championed new-federalist reforms.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- New federalism is a political idea about states having more power.
- President Reagan's new federalism aimed to give states more control over how they used federal money.
- Scholars debate whether the legacy of new federalism ultimately strengthened state capacities or simply offloaded difficult fiscal choices onto lower levels of government.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'NEW power for the FEW' (states) versus the federal view.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOVERNANCE IS A BALANCE OF SCALES (shifting weight from national to state levels).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not "новый федерализм" in a general sense, but a specific historical U.S. policy term. Avoid direct translation without contextual explanation.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to describe any new federal system (e.g., in a newly federal country).
- Confusing it with 'fiscal federalism', which is a broader, ongoing technical concept.
Practice
Quiz
Which U.S. president is most closely associated with launching 'New Federalism' as a major policy initiative?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as a historical reference point and ideological touchstone in debates about the proper balance of state and federal power, though the specific policy label is less used for contemporary proposals.
'Federalism' is the general system of shared power between national and state governments. 'New Federalism' refers to specific 20th-century political efforts to deliberately shift power and discretion back to the states.
Not typically. It more often changed the funding mechanism to block grants and reduced federal administrative rules, giving states more flexibility in implementation, rather than eliminating the programs entirely.
It has been championed primarily by conservative Republicans (Nixon, Reagan) but elements of devolution and flexibility have also been embraced at times by Democrats, making it a complex, though ideologically tinged, policy theme.