The two horses pawing the ground with nervous excitement. The knights grip their hilts tightly as they look stoically at each other on either side of the long fence that divides them. The horses, sensing the imminence of combat, agitate uncontrollably. A scream in the air resonates in the tin helmets of the two knights like a gunshot in a great hall. One moment everything was still, and the next moment both horses were galloping down the fence, picking up speed with each frenzied paddle. Bracing themselves, the two knights close their eyes, the impact arrives. Much like this joust, the United States government is in conflict with the Texas government over many different issues. The long barrier that separates these two powers is federalism but, as in jousts, the lances are obliged to cross this barrier in a burst of splinters and sticks. By examining competitors, the United States government and the Texas government, and their policies on issues such as immigration, we can get a better sense of the complex problems the federalist system can pose. Federalism is described as "a system that balances the power and sovereignty of state governments with those of the national government." The states and national government derive their authority directly from the people, and the states have considerable autonomy within their areas of responsibility” (Robison, Gibson). This means that we, as citizens, created these bodies of government to serve us. We have assigned areas of responsibility to the government of the United States as well as the government of Texas through a contract called the Constitution, which dictates these areas of responsibility. These areas are usually clearly defined, but along the fence, at the border of these two areas of responsibility, the fence may be broken or unclear. This is...... middle of paper ......n%3Bjsessionid%3DWlmnTDPDcrsYVLfYq41gmdhSVmJ8qh695MZSnJy48r8Jy9THL4pm%21-542137292%21-87894215?granuleId=GPO-CONAN-2002-8-2&packageId=GPO-CONAN- 2 002&fromBrowse= true >.Cruz, Ted. “Ted Cruz on Immigration.” On the issues. Information from campaign website, July 17, 2011. Web. April 7, 2014."Immigration reform." The White House. The White House, nd Web. April 05, 2014. .Perry, Rick. “Rick Perry on Immigration.” On the issues. Np, February 11, 2011.Web. April 7, 2014..Robison, Clay. “Chapter 2.2 Constitutional heritage”. Government and Politics in the Lone Star State. By L. Tucker Gibson, Jr. 8th ed. UpperSaddle River: Pearson Education, 2013. Page 37. Print.