ABSTRACT
The Idea of Federalism The U.S. Federalist system created several layers of government. A number of models
are used to explain how the Federalist system works; among them are the layer cake,
the marble cake, and the picket fence models. The layer cake model envisions separate and distinct areas of authority between the national, state, and local governments.
For example, this model assumes that the national government (that is, U.S. Congress
and the president) is primarily responsible for defending the nation, engaging in in-
