What Does Federalism Represent The People
How well does federalism represent the people?
There are many different forms of government in the world and of those, there are several forms of democracy including the unitary system (where the national government has all the power), the confederate system (where the states have all the power), and federalism.
Of these, it is my opinion that federalism supports democratic government better than the others. With federalism, there is a balance between the power of the state and national government. Contrary to the unitary system, federalism allows states to vote on laws which can vary from state to state depending on the wills of the people. Residents are able to make more of a difference by bringing local problems to the state rather than
having to go to the national level where the issue is more likely to be buried under all the others. Yet, unlike the confederate system, there are national laws that all states are required to follow, as well as national oversight where state laws can be deemed unconstitutional and repealed. Federalism in the United States is also helped by the separation of powers, which divides the national government into three branches, each with its own core purpose as well as overlap between the roles of the branches in order to provide checks and balances. These checks and balances ensure that no one branch has too much power. Another way the government balances power is the ability for citizens to press for changes in the law at both the national and state level. If a group was unable to make a difference at the state level of government they could try at the national level instead. This process makes it easier for people to have their say and to make changes.
No form of government is going to perfect for our nation and there are some who feel that the United States has given the national government too much authority. But I feel that especially compared to the unitary and confederate systems, federalism best allows people to have a say in the direction of their country.
There are many different forms of government in the world and of those, there are several forms of democracy including the unitary system (where the national government has all the power), the confederate system (where the states have all the power), and federalism.
Of these, it is my opinion that federalism supports democratic government better than the others. With federalism, there is a balance between the power of the state and national government. Contrary to the unitary system, federalism allows states to vote on laws which can vary from state to state depending on the wills of the people. Residents are able to make more of a difference by bringing local problems to the state rather than
having to go to the national level where the issue is more likely to be buried under all the others. Yet, unlike the confederate system, there are national laws that all states are required to follow, as well as national oversight where state laws can be deemed unconstitutional and repealed. Federalism in the United States is also helped by the separation of powers, which divides the national government into three branches, each with its own core purpose as well as overlap between the roles of the branches in order to provide checks and balances. These checks and balances ensure that no one branch has too much power. Another way the government balances power is the ability for citizens to press for changes in the law at both the national and state level. If a group was unable to make a difference at the state level of government they could try at the national level instead. This process makes it easier for people to have their say and to make changes.
No form of government is going to perfect for our nation and there are some who feel that the United States has given the national government too much authority. But I feel that especially compared to the unitary and confederate systems, federalism best allows people to have a say in the direction of their country.