Rethinking the Supreme Court's Impact on American Federalism and Centralization.

This article critically reevaluates the conventional view that the U.S. Supreme Court is a consistent force for centralization in American federalism. It argues that Supreme Court decisions upholding federal or state/local laws against constitutional challenges should be classified as neutral rather than centralizing or decentralizing, since such rulings maintain the status quo rather than altering the balance of power. Applying this revised classification to historical data reveals that the Court’s net centralizing impact is significantly less pronounced than traditionally believed, with legislative and executive branches playing a more substantial role in centralization. The article highlights how this reinterpretation affects understanding of key periods like the New Deal and Civil Rights eras, suggesting the Court’s role in shaping federal–state power boundaries is more limited and complex than standard accounts indicate.