Introduction

American federalism is a highly institutionalized compound of dual, cooperative, and coercive federalism that are coexisting states as well as historical phases. Contemporary coercive federalism has several systemic consequences including a shift in federal policy-making from places to persons, long-term fiscal stress, deceased intergovernmental institutions, rising polarization, a relegitimizing of states’ rights, and a paradoxical decline of public trust in the federal government coupled with public dedication to federal policy-making. Trump’s presidency, therefore, will likely be more of an interlude than a transformative moment in American federalism. Long-term trends highlighted in this issue will likely outlast Trump, although the trends point toward more centralization and polarization even while states and localities remain independently innovative on many fronts.