Lens Vicki A. author Columbia University. Social Work Columbia University. Social Work originator text Articles 2001 English The Supreme Court is entering a new era, discarding long‐standing legal doctrines to reshape the relationship between the states and the federal government. Paralleling trends in the legislative and executive branches of government, the Court is constructing its own version of devolution. Through a reinterpretation of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, which is the anchor for many of our civil rights and social welfare laws, the Court has severely curtailed the power of the federal government to enact progressive legislation. This article provides an overview of this new judicial doctrine and discusses its implications for social welfare policy. Law Social work 75 2 318 336 2001-06 http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:14961 NNC NNC 2012-10-16 13:37:29 -0400 2012-10-16 13:46:10 -0400 8965 eng