Federalism, Elections, and the Constitution: Who Actually Has the Power?
Tue Feb 03 2026
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Who actually has the power over elections in the United States — the federal government, the states, or the president?
Alexis takes you go back to the Constitution itself. Because here’s the truth: many adults have never been taught (or have near forgotten) how the Constitution is structured, where power is assigned, or why federalism exists in the first place. (This is a super basic/quick overview). When we don’t understand that structure, modern debates about elections can feel confusing, emotional, and disconnected from reality.
Alexis walks through the basics most people missed:
how the Constitution is organizedwhat the Articles actually assign to Congress, the President, and the courtswhere federalism lives in the texthow the Bill of Rights — especially the 10th Amendment — draws a clear line between federal and state powerFrom there, she gets concrete about elections: who runs them, who sets guardrails, and why the president has no constitutional authority to administer or centralize elections.
To help frame today’s tensions, she puts two books into conversation — The Divided States of America by Donald F. Kettl and American Covenant by Yuval Levin — exploring whether federalism is a system that’s breaking down… or one that’s doing exactly what it was designed to do.
This episode isn’t about personalities or partisan talking points. It’s about structure, limits, and why understanding the Constitution changes how we see current events.
Because policy isn’t abstract. It’s personal. And federalism is where our disagreements are meant to live.
Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/
JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page
Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
email@thealexismorgan.com
Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com
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Send us a text Who actually has the power over elections in the United States — the federal government, the states, or the president? Alexis takes you go back to the Constitution itself. Because here’s the truth: many adults have never been taught (or have near forgotten) how the Constitution is structured, where power is assigned, or why federalism exists in the first place. (This is a super basic/quick overview). When we don’t understand that structure, modern debates about elections can feel confusing, emotional, and disconnected from reality. Alexis walks through the basics most people missed: how the Constitution is organizedwhat the Articles actually assign to Congress, the President, and the courtswhere federalism lives in the texthow the Bill of Rights — especially the 10th Amendment — draws a clear line between federal and state powerFrom there, she gets concrete about elections: who runs them, who sets guardrails, and why the president has no constitutional authority to administer or centralize elections. To help frame today’s tensions, she puts two books into conversation — The Divided States of America by Donald F. Kettl and American Covenant by Yuval Levin — exploring whether federalism is a system that’s breaking down… or one that’s doing exactly what it was designed to do. This episode isn’t about personalities or partisan talking points. It’s about structure, limits, and why understanding the Constitution changes how we see current events. Because policy isn’t abstract. It’s personal. And federalism is where our disagreements are meant to live. Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration. email@thealexismorgan.com Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy: https://www.thealexismorgan.com