Question 1
Today’s population is highly dependent on the information they receive from mass media such as CNN and other organizations that are considered trustworthy when it comes to the provision of new and important information. This means that such organizations can directly influence the political processes in a country. This is due to the fact that they can directly influence the views of the population to back or refuse government policies.
An average American citizen is also limited in terms of the number of live newsfeed that he or she receives at any given time. This brings in the aspect of dependability on such mass media organizations. They are availed with the power to sway the general population in the direction that they view as suitable. This is especially when the American government passes new policies that do not favor the majority of the population who are not financially endowed. The organizations do this by making sure they follow up on the people responsible while seeking for vivid explanations. They also enlighten the general population on the legality of any political events that the government is involved in.
At the same time, they also enlighten the population on the remedies available in case they wish to reject a new bill or policy. Similarly, by showing the opinions and views of the population such organizations help to strengthen the power of the people hence increasing the existence of a democracy, where the government is principally in existence for the good of majority of the population.
An example is the political debates that are aired by the media especially for the presidential candidacy, for example the Barrack Obama versus Mitt Romney debate. They help to shape a better understanding of what the candidates have in store for America. This helps act as a filter against inefficient leaders, and those who are sufficiently prepared to take USA to the next level of development with the people’s personal interests in mind.
Question 2
When creating the constitution, the founders were very much aware of the dangers that lay in according a single individual too much power. This meant that the chance of dictatorial type of government would be highly reduced. This was in the best interest of the people. They considered that the public good was much greater than the personal preferences of a single person who was in power. The constitution was meant to decentralize power such that there would be sufficient controls against any form of abuse of power.
This involved the creation of the bill of rights as part of the American constitution. This was a document that articulately specified equal rights of any American citizen irrespective of race, gender or economic status. This was especially crucial since at the time there were several antifederalists who were deeply concerned about such matters. Furthermore, America was becoming a diverse land with different people from different origins (Gerston, 2007). Therefore, in a bid to ensure peaceful coexistence of these people it was necessary to create a document that bestowed rights and freedoms on all people while also mentioning the limitations of these rights and the corresponding consequences. This would promote societal order.
The constitution was also created with the consideration of people might have to amend or add more laws to those that are already existent. This would mean that the constitution would be time-relevant. It would be chiseled in accordance with the preference of the majority of the population. This was through the amendment of the bill of rights. This aspect of the constitution would mean that the constitution in itself is flexible in its establishment of law and order. An example is the 5th amendment of the American constitution that serves to safeguard against abuse of public offices. In 1789 the inclusion of the dual federalism into the constitution was approved by the individual states (Drake, 1999).
Question 3
A federal government system is basically a system that involves two levels of within the government. It is especially applicable whereby regional governments are established in different states. The different state governments are, however, subordinate to the central or federal government. The state governments have independent systems, and even have individual constitutions. This means that some things may be legal in one state an illegal in another. This aspect of dynamism is what has made the US government system unique as compared to other government systems.
There are several types of federalism, depending on who takes responsibility for the activities involved in policy making. State centered federalism was the first kind whereby the state took all the responsibility since all the power was bestowed on the state. Twilight zone federalism stemmed from the initial type of federalism. In this system, no one was particularly responsible except for the rich, who controlled the economy. Cooperative federalism is a blended type of state governance whereby the responsibility is shared. It involves the use of grants, devolution and evaluation as tools of control between the state and central government. Dual federalism is a situation whereby the state and central government are equal.
Under co-operative government, the central or federal government is superior to the state government and hence can control it to some extent. Collaborative federalism is an association of two autonomous states for economic and military benefits (among other reasons) as part of a national policy of a country. This is a new kind of federalism that is slowly being adapted (DiGiacomo and Flumian, 2010). There are opposing arguments on federalism especially since federalism aims at improving government services and provision of public services. However, inequalities in the allocation of resources to various states have brought disagreements between various states.
References
DiGiacomo, G., & Flumian, M. (2010). The Case for Centralized Federalism. Ottawa:
Drake, F. D. (1999). States' Rights and American Federalism: A Documentary History.
Westport, Conn. [u.a.: Greenwood Press.
Gerston, L. N. (2007). American Federalism: A Concise Introduction. Armonk, N.Y: M.E.
Sharpe.
