Federalism as a system of government in the United States of America is one democratic governance. It ensures that power is vested in the people, as opposed to a central government and the political structure that come with it. Federalism has played a great role in the economic development of the Union. It is believed that it is in America that one would find the most stable democracy in the whole world. So below is a case study of three states with distinctive types of federal governments within them.
California State Government
California is among the few states that practice direct democracy in the United States of America. This means that the citizens if this state have the opportunity to elect their senator, governor and representatives. Californians also take part in law making through creating ballots known as propositions, which in turn are meant to show and represent the feelings of the people of California regarding the laws of the land. The propositions give the citizens of the states of California the opportunity to make and amend laws directly. The state legislature reviews the propositions and responds to the will of the electorate.
Propositions also include the ideas Californians have for new laws or constitutional changes. Citizens of California also have a chance to vote for or against a new law in the state. The direct system of democracy began in California in the early 1900s as several Californians were dissatisfied with how the state was run by the officials in charge. They accused the officials of making laws that aimed at helping businesses rather than the people they represented. This of course did not auger well with the electorate who felt out of place and abandoned. The citizens advocated for fair legislation process that takes into consideration all the citizens of the state. Political activists demanded the enshrinement of the right to participate in the legislative process, in the California state constitution.
This led to changes in the Californian constitution to allow voters to take part in law making. They also hold referendums which give the citizens an opportunity to vote in favour or against a law passed by the state assembly. They are also legally allowed to come up with initiative; meaning the can propose a new law. Anybody, provided that person is United States of America’s citizen and a Citizen is a Californian, can petition to propose a new law so long as the citizen has the backing of the people. If the petition is successful, the other citizens are allowed to vote on the legislation in a referendum. If the citizens vote against the legislation, the legislation ceases to have the force of law.
What distinguishes the state of California from others in the US is the practice indirect democracy; California involves her citizens directly in the day to day running of the state by directly involving them in the law making process. Other states however, practice indirect system in the governance of the state. This of course is done by electing leaders to represent their interests in the legislature. The representatives advocate the interest of their constituents in the legislature. They make laws on the behalf of the citizens
In what can be described as a pristine democratic practice, this kind of system has impacted adversely on the governing of the state especially as far as service delivery is concerned. For example there, are certain laws that may need to be urgently passed in response to critical situation, but this cannot be done without the consent of the citizens. It can clearly be seen that as much as everyone should be involved in the law making process, the need to consult everyone is a huge blow to proper service delivery by the government of the state.
The question as to who among the legislature and the governor is superior is a bit tricky. This is because the both handle different issues pertaining to the administration of the state in general. The governor, among other functions approves the spending of public funds, appoints judges, and spearheads policy making. He or she also controls state agencies as well as implementation of various legislations. Moreover he or she has the power to veto laws passed by various sources in his/her area of jurisdiction. All these functions therefore tend to put him virtually ahead of the legislature.
On the other hand the legislature also has its fair share of functions, which include modifying, repealing and creating laws used to govern the state. The state legislature is bicameral and consists of the California State Assembly and the State Senate of California. The two contribute to the betterment of the state by carrying out their functions objectively be it economically, socially and politically. Therefore one can deduce that both the governor and the legislature play an important role in the smooth running of the state.
In as much as the governor may be slightly more powerful than the legislature, there are checks and balances in place. The governor has the power to assent to laws made by the legislature and even veto some of them but the legislature also has the power to impeach the governor if he/she conducts gross violation of the laws of the land.
The practice of direct democracy in California has been lauded for various reasons such as the fact that it empowers citizens to take part in signing petitions as well as taking part in referendums. Moreover, it gives the citizens authority to set aside court’s decision through a popular vote as citizens are believed to be the best people in determining their own interests. It is believed that by having a voting right, they can easily identify themselves with the policies of the government.
However, the disadvantages of direct democracy in the state of California, outweighs the advantages. A major argument against this system is that citizen may end up making poor decisions as they are not informed of the policies and material facts. This can lead to damaging laws that will only have a deleterious impact on their lives. It is are few secrets that in any direct democracy, the rights of the minority are limited as it, is always the majority that have their way and minority their say and nothing further to that effect. The huge amount of funds used in the enhancements of certain provisions of this system is another of its major undoing, as the state spends billions of dollars in educating people of new legislation and involving people in referendums. In the long run, the state spends trillions of dollars in burdensome democratic processes. These funds could be directed in sectors such as health and infrastructure where they are actually needed.
Louisiana State Government
Louisiana State has a rich diversity of people from all walks of life. They include the original Indian people and a variety of settlers for example French, Spanish, English, German, English and Africans. The early settlers of the French and Spanish greatly influenced the legal systems applied I Louisiana today. French Acadians migrated to Louisiana though the migration was neither immediate nor smooth. Most of them were taken to the colonies of New England, while others wandered around for years before they could realise they were welcome in Louisiana which was a French territory.
The system of government in Louisiana is totally different from those of other states as it is governed using the French laws. The governor is the chief executive officer state and shares the executive state’s office control with several elected officials. The function of the executive officer is to administer programmes and operations of state government. The executive office also serves the people directly and it also provides services such as medical care.
The governor in Louisiana seems to have more power than the legislature. The governor in Louisiana is the chief executive officer of the state. He has the power to call the legislature to special session. He is also empowered to specify the subject matter that will be considered during such a session. The governor is usually elected to a four year term and is eligible to two terms in office, though a previously elected governor may be once again eligible for office after staying one whole term out of office. Elections for the governor are usually held a year prior to the presidential elections so as to allow the citizens of the state to consider state matters without distraction from presidential elections.
The legislature of Louisiana on the other handles the budget taken to them by the governor. They also keep checks and balances on the governor. The governor is also the commander- in- chief of the state’s military. He/she is mandated to call upon the National Guard in case of any emergencies. The governor’s office is however weakened by the numerous executive offices that exist in the state. Though one would be in total violation of the state constitution, the governor assumed exercise more power than the state.
Provision of funds to the local authority is in the least annoying. This is as a result of long channels that the law require to be followed. The budget is also to pass to the legislature for approval. This is usually done every fiscal year. Taxing is also another methodology used for the collection of state funds.
New York State Government
The state of New York is the most populous state in the USA. It is headed by a governor who is elected by the citizens of the state. He is required to be at least thirty years of age, a citizen of the United States of America and ha resident of New York for at least five years. The Governor functions as the state’s chief executive and commander in chief of its armed and naval forces. The governor is also is also expected to make a yearly submission of the state budget to the state legislature. The governor makes recommendations on the legislation and makes funding appropriations for departments and programs.
The governor has even more powers as he/she is empowered to; veto legislative bills, convene the legislature at any time for special sessions; appoint and under very special conditions that allow the removal of the appointed state officers; and grant reprieves, commutations and pardons. And in as much as the Governor has all this power he is kept in check by the independently appointed and elected officials.
The great state of New York has a legislature that is the law making arm of the government. It is bicameral in nature and consists of the Senate and the Assembly. The constitution offers a senate of varying number and an Assembly of one hundred and fifty members who are elected from different districts for two year terms. The powers of the constitution are reserved with the legislature and its powers are varied and extensive. It allows the Senate and the house of representative to propose laws that may be introduced in either house as bills that may eventually become law. A bill passed in one house must be passed in the other before being sent to the Governor for his assent or veto.
Although the Governor has the power to veto legislative bills passed by the two houses, the constitution gives the legislature override power in which the legislature can still approve a law despite veto from the Governor. But this can only happen with two-thirds majority support from each house. This is one sure way for the legislature to keep the executive in check.
Delivery of services in the state of New York is quite fast and effective since not many consultations have to be done, as the governor simply puts forward his propositions forward to the legislature who scrutinize it and rule on it. The budget is also prepared by the governor without much ado and presented to the senate for approval. But in case of any standoff between the legislature and the executive, it is the citizens of the state that end up suffering as far as service delivery are concerned. Most of the laws are passed due to compromise between the legislature and the executive.
New York has a highly complicated local government structure. It is divided into counties, cities and towns. It currently consists of sixty two counties although five of the counties are the Boroughs of New York and that means they do not have functioning county governments within them.
Key factors of a successful government
Separation of powers; the three different arms of the government, the Judiciary, Executive and the Legislature should all work independently and autonomously as they keep checks and balances on one another. This helps to produce a fairly peaceful environment suitable for proper governance and therefor service delivery. Without separation of powers all the political power is vested in one entity or a group of people. This is the very definition of tyranny. The majority of the failed states in the world vested all the powers in one person. The independence of the judiciary was curtailed by the rulers. Since the citizens did not have an avenue to seek reprieve for their grievances they therefore resulted to violence and destruction.
The integration of the people into the governance of the state; the political power is exercised by the people on behalf of the electorate. The executive and other elected officials should realize that their power is not inherent and involve the electorate in the administration of the state. Public opinion should be considered in deciding on the issues of the state. This has particularly worked very well in the state of California. This allows the people to have direct say in their day to day governance. This makes them feel appreciated and included. This is very vital for any government wanting to be successful.
Utilizing local government; local governments are meant to ensure that services provided by the government are brought closer to the electorate. Local governments eliminate the bureaucracy of a centralized political structure. Delivery of services becomes effective in direct political structures where citizens interact direct with their governors. Local governments are meant to bring power closer to the people especially where indirect systems of governments do exist. This is especially widely used in states such as New York.
After analysis of the three states and their government structures and systems, I think Californian system of government is the most effective one. It allows the citizens to make and amend laws of the state. A Californian citizen can petition the state legislature to strike down legislation that he or she considers unfair. The proposition system in the state of California is of the progressed form of democracies. Some sovereign republics and purported world powers do not give their citizens the opportunity to strike down the legislation they consider unfair. The California system is the best democracy in the United States of America. This is because the people, who are the reason for the existence of a government, are directly involved in the process of governance itself. The right to self-determination by the electorate is enshrined in the constitution of California. This creates an environment for proper service delivery, which is the obligation of any government to its people.
References
Gerald, B. (2012). The Oxford Handbook of New York State Government and Politics. London: Oxford University Press.
Goebel, T. (2008). Government by the People: Direct Democracy in America, 1890-1940: Direct Democracy in America, 1890-1940. New York: University of North Carolina Press.
Janiskee, B., & Masugi, K. (2011). Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State. Los Angeles: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Robinson, M. (2013). The Politics of Successful Governance Reforms. New York: Routledge.
Sacher, J. (2007). A Perfect War of Politics: Parties, Politicians, and Democracy in Louisiana. New York: LSU Press.
