Formal constitutional categories do not show how a program operates day to day. Governors negotiate waivers, agencies exchange data, local administrators interpret eligibility rules, and governments litigate disputed conditions. These repeated relationships can produce cooperation in one policy and conflict in another.

Map the network rather than assuming a simple national-state hierarchy. Local governments usually derive legal authority from their states, yet they can receive federal funds directly. Administrative expertise, fiscal dependence, and political accountability affect bargaining even when the legal power is clear.

An intergovernmental agreement is not itself proof that authority was surrendered. Identify the statute, funding source, implementing institution, and enforcement mechanism. The same actors may cooperate voluntarily, comply with a lawful condition, or contest preemption; each relationship calls for different analysis.

Video lesson: Federalism: Crash Course Government and Politics #4