pros and cons of federalism essay

Pros and cons of Federalism in the U.S. There are many different forms of federalism, with the number of varying units changing from country to country. Further more centralization of power can also change. Federalism can be either a presidential system or parliamentary, but here in the U.S. we have a presidential one with 50 varying units. With our system come numerous benefits, but it also has its shortcomings. Two key benefits of federalism are that at the same time it promotes unity, it also promotes diversity in the country as a whole. It allows unity because it gives the power to the national government to make binding decisions in the national interest that support the needs of all its citizens. But the national government does not have all the power. It does not make all the decisions and that is where diversity comes in. Federalism allows local and state governments to make their own decisions that can represent the interest, the wishes and the desires of their citizens. That is federalism allows diversity because governments can respond to local preferences. Another benefit of federalism is that it allows experimentation at the local or state level with reforms that are new and innovative. By experimenting at the local and state level of government with new reforms and laws the nation can see the pros and cons of the reform before the national government can decided to implement it. This experimentation is very important, it can start major reforms to the country in a small way as to not make the change to charring by making it national and the populous can see and get use to the reform before adopting it, making the whole process more stream line and less painful. Especially when it comes to difficult or controversial reforms like for example, marijuana legalization. Nevertheless, federalism has its shortcomings. The States and local government can and.
Shifting to a federal form of government is the common advocacy of both Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bongbong Marcos. Should this tandem materialize and find their way to Malacañang come 2016, Federalism will surely be tops on their agenda. For those unaware, Federalism is a political system where administrative powers are shared between the national government and its units. These units, in the Philippine context, can come in the form of regions or provinces. When federalized, they will be known as “federal states, regions or communities.” Federal states will have the power to act independently on certain areas of governance. This will likely include charting their own economic development agenda, managing their own taxes, designing their own infrastructure program, issuing licenses, and administering health, education and social service programs, among others. The national government, on the other hand, will retain jurisdiction over all things of national interest, including foreign policy, defense, and managing the country’s finances, etc. Before we throw our support behind Duterte and Marcos, we should know what we’re getting into. Hence, I present the pros and cons of Federalism. And just to be clear, when I say “regional government”, it could also mean “provincial government”, depending on the structure of the federal system. Advantages of Federalism Customized solutions. No one knows the political, economic and social problems of a region better than the residents themselves. Federalism allows regional governments to devise the most apt solutions to their unique problems. This is especially appropriate for the Philippines given its 80 ethno-linguistic communities spread over 7,107 islands. Each of these communities has its own culture, aspirations, preferences and peculiarities. Within a federal framework, their needs are better addressed. Manila and.
Ryan Wiseman Click here to find interesting historical events that happened on every day of the year When it comes to the system of federalism that we practice in the United States, there are many advantages as well as disadvantages. Some of the pros and cons of federalism will be given, with reasons as to why it is believed that the benefits of federalism outweight its detriments. What are the advantages and disadvantages of federalism, as a form of government, and do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? There are many advantages and disadvantages to our federal system of government, the benefits of which many believe outweigh the negatives. Below are the reasons why this may be the case, but before we dive into why the advantages may outweigh the disadvantages of federalism, let's first look at the list of the positives and negatives, the pros and cons, of federalism, many of which are listed elsewhere. Benefits of Federalism: As a Protection Against Tyranny – One of the most important points of federalism in dividing the power between the national government and state governments, and spreading the national government’s power among three branches that serve as a check and balance on each other, is that it serves as a deterrent to tyranny and runaway power. The protections we have in our system against a tyrannical, runaway government are one of the most important points to why the system was designed the way it was. Diffusing Power – The form of federalism that we have in our country, where power is shared with state governments, and where the federal government is separated into three branches, serves as a means to make sure that all power is not centralized into a single person or group of people, since excessive power among a single group tends to be corrupting. Increasing Citizen Participation – By not centralizing all power into the hands of a national.
As of today, twenty-four of the world's one hundred ninety-three countries have a federal political set up. Looking at these countries' political history, it can be said that there are both advantages and disadvantages of federalism. This Buzzle article takes an in-depth look at the same. Advertisement What is Federalism?Federalism is a political system in which the powers are divided between the central government and numerous regional governments.A majority of democracies around the world have a unitary system of government, wherein power is centered around the national government. In federalism, there is a written constitution which formulates this power sharing arrangement between the state and its units. These units, referred to as the provincial or regional governments, have the power to act independently in certain areas of governance. In the United States too, the power is shared between the national and regional or state governments. The local governments have exclusive powers to issue licenses, provide for public health, conduct elections and form local governments, look after the intrastate trade, etc. This political system was adopted to ensure greater safety and autonomy against internal and external threats. At present, federalism is being followed not only in First World countries like USA, Australia and Canada but also in developing countries like Mexico, India and Brazil. Contemplating a change in the governing set up of the nation, some countries like Sri Lanka and Philippines are intently scrutinizing its advantages and disadvantages. In today's changed environment though it does make sense to question the pros and cons of the following the federal system of governance. Advantages Localized Governance Every province has political, social and economic problems peculiar to the region itself. Provincial government representatives live in proximity to.
Basically, federalism is a governmental structure and political concept, where people are bound together with a representative leader. It often involves power that is divided constitutionally between separate government units, such as provinces or states. With governing shared between national and state organizations, its distribution of power is greater than other types of localized government. Generally, countries can be broken down into either unitary states or federalism, depending on whether or not power is divided into a more local level. A great example of a federalist system is the US, there is the national government having the ability to carry out policies, laws and anything that individual states cannot effectively do on their own. Aside from this, the country is also comprised of several states having individual policies and laws with regards to certain things. So, is this government, which we are accustomed to, the best to have? Let us take a closer look at its pros and cons to come up with a well- informed decision. List of Pros of Federalism 1. It prevents the centralization of power. Unlike tyranny, where the rule of the many by the few occurs more easily in its unitary governmental system and power is centralized in a single location, a federalist system uses the right of the states to ensure that power will be divided between the overarching government and participating entities all the time. As a result, these two parties should work together to accomplish a certain objective, which makes actual tyranny and centralization of power very difficult to occur. 2. It encourages a greater level of civic participation. While many people criticize the low turn-out rates in the national and local elections in the US, the federal system on which the country operates does create a surprising amount of activism and local governmental participation, which are.