Federalism: A Laboratory Of Democracy

Federalism is a laboratory of democracy because states and cities are vital parts of American government. States should cater its laws to the values and wants of the people in the state. With certain situations and instances, national laws do not work across the nation. For example, laws regarding hunting, fishing, and mining may be pertinent in Alaska, but would be completely impractical and even dangerous if applied to some other states. Federalism allows for each individual state to create laws that specifically apply to the setting and conditions that the state finds itself in. This way, laws can be direct, meaningful, and serve a greater purpose to the individuals who live and work in the area. Federalism allows each state to focus more energy and resources on their specialized agenda. Federalism also promotes state governments to experiment with policy and serve as an example to other states. Federalism makes it easier to create tailored law. Federalism is a laboratory for democracy because it encourages research in good policy. Numerous states have devised their own laws regarding the regulation of controlled substances. Each state can have slightly different language in their law, leading to different outcomes. If the federal government ever wants to enact the most effective law, they can look at the individual states and see which law has worked the best. This procedure was applied when the Affordable Care Act was created, where the statewide health care system used in Massachusetts became the model for a national health care law.