I don't know how to approach this essay question?

[R]

Discuss the concept of federalism. What features of our federal government do you believe work best? What features do you believe do not work or require reform? What reforms wold you propose and why? Include in your discussion the concept of states rights and how states interact with the federal government. Also, discuss what you believe to be the proper tole of the federal government and why?

[George S]

That's a lot. I'll give you what happened when the US converted from a confederation to a federation with today's constitution. The "proper role" of government varies greatly depending on what type of government is instituted and even more important what are the political and economic goals of the culture(s) under that government.

The first North American colonies that evolved into the United States began as mostly democratic, voluntarily socialist and some even communist communities established by Calvinist and Anabaptist Protestant sects. Some remained communist for centuries and even the Plymouth Colony landing in what is now Massachusetts tried communism for the first year but almost starved out. Too many people there weren't dedicated enough to consistently work in the communal fields. The second year they divided it into family plots and the crops were much better then.

Two hundred years ago about the time of our revolution hordes of Scots-Irish (more Protestants) flooded in as refugees from battles they lost against English domination. They were the beginning of clannish family oriented cultures streaming in all through the 19th century and again now. They began to change the attitudes about government and probably helped inspire the need for change and the division that brought.

The structure and principles of government here in the US are all wrapped around the very fierce battle between Federalist Party bankers and merchants and anti-Federalist farmers and tradesmen. The latter soon formed the Democratic-Republican Party ultimately known as the Democratic Party (today's Republican Party wasn't formed until the latter 1840s), but with true liberal policies not the socialist and progressives ones of today. The anti-Federalists strongly opposed many Federalist policies and did not trust the new constitution the Federalists wanted, so they demanded our Bill of Rights to protect themselves (and us) against domination from the Federalists.

The primary reason the Federalist bankers and merchants called for a convention to alter the existing (then) constitution (the Articles of Confederation) was because that constitution allowed states to shut out businesses from other states. Those articles formed a "confederation" of independent states. They were like independent countries aligned together without the overriding federal authority we have today under a federalist constitution.

The Federalists also wanted to form "well regulated [meaning fully trained and equipped] select corps of the young and ardent" (see Federalist Paper No. 29) formal militia units drawn from within the already existing militia of all able-bodied male citizens. The new formal militia of disciplined (and indoctrinated) young men (good for dominating states and citizens) was wanted by them to put down rebellions like Shays' a year before had been against Massachusetts banks. That rebellion was made from (of course) many members of the normal citizens' militia. Anti-Federalists didn't trust that new young militia and included our Second Amendment rights to military weapons to fight with or against them when government officials send forces to dominate states or citizens.

The arguments between Federalists and anti-Federalists, under many compromises hopefully students are still taught, resulted in the new Constitution we have today. Fallout from the conflict between the two factions inspired the demand for a Bill of Rights the anti-Federalists authored, eventually cost Federalist leader Alexander Hamilton's life from a dueling wound, and culminated in our Civil War decades later.

PS: True liberalism advocates: individual freedom, weak government, and free markets. Conservatism advocates: moral responsibility, strong government, and protected markets. Progressives advocate: social concern, omniscient government, and controlled markets. Socialism advocates: social responsibility, omnipresent government, and collective markets.

PPS: Skim both the Articles of Confederation ( http://uscode.house.gov/pdf/Organic%20Laws/const.pdf ). Comparing both should help you understand how federations can be different and more complex than simpler forms of government. Both are relatively brief documents for legal texts. Some state constitutions are massive tomes.