Constitutional coercion occurs when federal conditions on funding are so punitive that states have no real choice but to comply. The Supreme Court has struck down such conditions as violating state sovereignty, while allowing less coercive conditional funding.
Constitutional coercion determines the limits of federal power over states, protecting federalism and state autonomy.
People think all federal funding conditions are coercion. Only conditions that leave states with no meaningful choice are unconstitutional.
Constitutional coercion determines the limits of federal power over states, protecting federalism and state autonomy.
People think all federal funding conditions are coercion. Only conditions that leave states with no meaningful choice are unconstitutional.