Congratulations on making it to the final article of Unit 1! This will be quite a short article, but still valuable!
The distribution of powers between the national government and the states impacts policymaking in many ways, creating access points for stakeholders/institutions to influence public policy.
Furthermore, national policymaking is constrained by limits that come with having to share power with the states via concurrent powers.
For instance, let’s think about the legalization of marijuana. While still outlawed federally, many states began to allow it for medical and/or recreational purposes.
In addition, when President Trump took office, he removed the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, an international environmental regulation treaty that President Obama entered us into prior. Despite this, certain states still kept the regulations, showing how federalism shapes public policy. Even if the national government outlaws a rule, the states still have the decision on whether to enforce it or not.