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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 organized
• what the Articles actually assign to Congress, the President, and the courts
• where federalism lives in the text
• how the Bill of Rights — especially the 10th Amendment — draws a clear line between federal and state power

From 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.

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