Game On
From The West Wing (Season 4, Episode 6)
Categories:
Run time: 9:16
In the episode: 3:00 to 12:16 of Season 4, Episode 6.
Clip Description: Debate about federal power vs. state power
American Politics Concepts Discussed/Connected To: The West Wing’s “Game On” can be used for analyzing political debate strategies, examining federalism versus states’ rights, and studying political communication techniques.
Possible Uses in Classroom: This clip can be used to discuss political debate strategies and political communication techniques
Discussion Questions
- Very little of the federal-versus-state fight is settled by the Tenth Amendment, because most federal leverage over states runs through money rather than commands. Congress cannot order a state to administer a federal program, but it can attach conditions to funds it offers — a 21-year-old drinking age in exchange for highway dollars, upheld in South Dakota v. Dole (1987). If Washington can buy what it is not allowed to command, what is left of state autonomy, and where should the line sit between an offer a state can refuse and a threat it cannot?
- A debate rewards whoever can say what he believes in one sentence; governing rewards whoever knows what happens in year three. Both sides of this argument compress well — ‘let the states decide’ and ‘some problems cross state lines’ are each about four words. Take each slogan and say what it hides: what does the states’ rights version not want to discuss, and what does the national-standards version not want to discuss?
- You almost certainly want federal power on some issues and state power on others. Name one of each, then say what is actually doing the deciding for you: a view about which level of government is competent to handle that kind of problem, or the policy outcome you want to win. If it is the second, is either principle doing real work in your thinking, or are they both just available when convenient?
Clip hosted on Critical Commons.