The Center for the Study of Federalism (CSF) focuses on promoting the understanding and study of federalism as a fundamental principle and process within U.S. politics and government. It achieves this through academic research, publication, and education.
The grant program offered by the CSF aims to support middle-school and high-school educators in developing and implementing unit plans that deepen the understanding of federalism. With awards of $2,500 each for up to three recipients, the initiative encourages the creation of educational materials that explore federalism beyond the simplistic dichotomy of states’ rights versus federal power, highlighting its role in balancing national and state concerns, unity and diversity, and centralization with decentralization. The grant focuses on enabling educators to design comprehensive units that engage students with the question “Does Federalism Still Matter?” through various lenses such as public opinion, political party structure, campaign strategies, state and local roles in policy-making, intergovernmental relations, and judicial review. The program seeks unit plans that can address federalism's relevance across multiple dimensions and from diverse perspectives, whether policy-specific, related to intergovernmental dynamics, or focusing on contentious debates within federalism, facilitating a nuanced engagement with the principle's ongoing significance in American political life.