Is Federalism Necessary
Is Federalism Necessary
Introduction
Federalism is a form of government where a written constitution is able to divide political power between the federal government and the state government. Under federalism, both state and federal governments act and help citizens directly through law making and responsible officials. There have been several times the Supreme Court is asked to adjudicate the definition of Federalism, which Founding Fathers constructed. There is a clear impact of Federalism on American citizens that are both positive and negative in nature.
Responsive Government
One of the biggest advantages of Federalism for American citizens has been the responsiveness of the government. Federalism provides citizens with a powerful state government that can be more responsive to local needs. A closer government is more likely to understand the local’s needs and act on the basis of a situation. Since, state government only needs to govern a region, they are more likely to respond earlier to their citizen’s needs and find solutions to problems.
Creates Inequalities
Since, every state has its own government; it is possible that economic and social differences arise due to decisions made by state governments. It is possible that one state might decide that they should invest more on education, which results in the improvement of their education system, but leaves other areas impoverished. But, other states might decide to invest in other areas of governance such as healthcare. This leads to a weakening of their education system, but improvement in their healthcare standards.
Conclusion
Federalism allows the division of governance powers between federal and state government and it has a clear impact on American citizens. Federalism clearly provides citizens with a responsive government and creates inequalities of services provided to citizens.
