The Western Governors' ongoing defense and promotion of state authority has established them as national leaders advocating for the realignment of the state-federal relationship. WGA has established the Western Governors’ Center of Excellence for Improving the State-Federal Relationship as an online repository of resources on federalism issues developed through the Governors’ research and policy work.
Strengthening the State-Federal Relationship
The new episode of WGA’s Out West podcast, Strengthening the State-Federal Relationship, explores the work that Western states and organizations are undertaking to strengthen and rebalance the states’ relationship with the federal government.
Listen in as WGA senior policy advisor Kevin Doran speaks with Matt Morrison, CEO of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation, Edgar Ruiz, Director of the Council of State Governments West, Jonathan Shuffield, Associate Legislative Director for Public Lands and Liaison to the Western Interstate Region for the National Association of Counties, and WGA Executive Director Jim Ogsbury about their collective work to protect and promote state authority.
This document provides the legal bases why states should be treated as co-sovereigns by federal agencies and officials, meriting government-to-government consultation, and not as mere stakeholders or members of the general public.
The context in which the state-federal relationship manifests is variable, and specific circumstances determine the appropriate interaction between state and federal officials. This document details the “flavors” of the state-federal relationship, including primary state authority, delegated authority, exclusive federal authority and shared authority.
