William H. Riker argued that the main effect of federalism since the Civil War has been to promote

William H. Riker argued that the main effect of federalism since the Civil War has been to promote

• A. racism
• B. poverty
• C. corruption
• D. fraud

Answer: (A)

Federalism lets states set many policies, so local majorities can shape laws and institutions without needing nationwide consensus. After the Civil War, this meant Southern and other state governments could enact and maintain racial segregation and voter suppression through Jim Crow, using state authority to enforce discriminatory practices for decades. Riker’s view highlights this as the enduring pattern: the federal system permits racism to be embedded in policy across states, rather than producing a single national stance on race. While poverty, corruption, and fraud are important political issues, they don’t capture the specific long-run effect Riker emphasized—the way state-level sovereignty enabled persistent racial inequality.

Federalism lets states set many policies, so local majorities can shape laws and institutions without needing nationwide consensus. After the Civil War, this meant Southern and other state governments could enact and maintain racial segregation and voter suppression through Jim Crow, using state authority to enforce discriminatory practices for decades. Riker’s view highlights this as the enduring pattern: the federal system permits racism to be embedded in policy across states, rather than producing a single national stance on race. While poverty, corruption, and fraud are important political issues, they don’t capture the specific long-run effect Riker emphasized—the way state-level sovereignty enabled persistent racial inequality.