Federalism is a system of government based on the principles of distribution of power between central authorities and other constituent units (Merriam-Webster.com, n.d.). These constituent units are smaller subdivisions of a national government, and both these types of governing bodies govern issues: national government governs issues on the federal (national) level, and its smaller subdivisions govern local issues. Smaller subdivisions are rather independent from the national government, and they have a legislative power of a local character. For example, in the United States, there is a federal system of government that consists of the federal government and governments of states.
There are some advantages of the federal system. One of the advantages is that state government can address local issues more effectively than a federal government (Thenextgalaxy.com, n.d.). Local governments have a better understanding of local problems and they can meet the need of the local population in a better way. Local government knows what changes are to be made and knows how to make these changes. Another benefit of the federal system is that smaller branches of national government prevent the central government from having power over all areas of life, which can sometimes be a source of negative and harmful implementations. When power is excessive, it will most likely start being corrupting, and, therefore, separation of power is a great advantage of federalism. The third benefit of the federal model of power distribution in the country is an active participation of people living in certain areas. People are involved in the decision-making process that affects people living in this very society, and this chance of having a large say gives the feeling of contribution and involvement, and people feel themselves more comfortable living in the country.
At the same time, there are some disadvantages of the federal form of the government. One of such disadvantages is the possible conflict of authorities. For example, federal government has the power to make laws of national character and all people living in the country have to follow these laws. At the same time, such laws can in some way contradict the rules or traditions that existed in a certain state, and it can cause many strikes, and this conflict of authority can lead to the ineffective way of governing the country. Among the cons of federalism, a major problem is the prevalence of regionalism over patriotism (Wiseman, n.d.). Federalism is based on dividing the area into smaller parts that have their own legislative bodies, and sometimes these smaller parts of the country can have their own smaller pride. Smaller regions start competing with each other, and it can become a great issue for the patriotism in the whole country as people start feeling themselves as citizens of certain states, and not the country as a whole. Another disadvantage is an inequality between smaller parts of the country. For example, some local governments may adopt the laws based on which they will spend more money on welfare or healthcare programs, education, or other things. Thus, it can be a major cause of disparity in the country and some states will be considered better than others, and it can become a significant challenge for the entire country.
Since the ratification of the Constitution in 1787, federal system in the United States has faced many changes. For example, after the Civil War, federalism changed in a way that the power of the states in such spheres as human rights and civil liberties was limited, and federal laws became more important than those of the states. Another example is a change promoted by President Franklin Roosevelt, and this change resulted in the expansion of the federal government functions (Katz, n.d.).
Probably, the main disadvantage of federalism that has an influence on me as well as on many other students is that education in some states is more developed than in others because of different levels of spending. Today, the current trend in politics is the expansion of the federal power as federal government issues more laws that concern the whole territory of the United States, so federal government has more power.
References
Katz, E. (n.d.). American Federalism. The U.S. Information Service's Electronic Journal. Retrieved 30 March 2016 from http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~ras2777/amgov/federalism.html
Merriam-Webster.com. (n.d.). Definition of Federalism. Retrieved 30 March 2016 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federalism
Thenextgalaxy.com. (n.d.). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism. Retrieved 30 March 2016 from http://thenextgalaxy.com/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-federalism/
Wiseman, R. (n.d.). Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism. Bloomp.net. Retrieved 30 March 2016 from http://www.bloomp.net/articles/benefits_federalism.htm
