A Strong Central Government

A Strong Central Government

In the 21st century Washington should have greater power to dictate national policy because the central government of the federated self-governing state speaks and acts for the entire country with its relations and dealings with foreign governments. In this sense, the national government is the sole holder of self-government. Only the national government can operate as the government of a completely independent political community. The national constitution gives the central government control over matters of common concern to the country as a whole and permits the constituent political communities to regulate matters of more local concern. The states and the federal government are considered supreme in their own sphere of power, although there is considerable overlap (Cropf, p. 106). Understanding that the states cannot make laws that supersede that of the federal government, it is my belief that in the arenas concerning education, health and others the federal government has and should have a greater power of force than local government since we all are aware from experience how local government has and can be influenced by local customs, such as the desire and belief in slavery by southern states. If not for the force of the federal government, slavery would still be legal in the few states. The federal system uses the states to rein in the power of central government, and vice versa (Cropf, p. 106). Lately, you would think with the advent of such political voices as the Tea Party and other so called reformist groups, that the federal powers are a hindrance the average person. I for one disagree. If I could on my on amend the document that give us the freedoms we enjoy, I would give more power to the federal government for the collective to better be in agreement. The federal government acts as a central focal point for the states and in an ideal setting the collective voice of the states would be the law of the land, understanding that the lawmakers are a body of people from the states. Yes, it is popular to think that the federal law comes from some entity we don’t know, but truth be told the federal laws we enjoy are the product of the states through their reps making collective laws for the collective. States and local government are responsible for delivering most of the public services in the United States (Cropf, p. 112). Each state has the power to regulate the conduct of individuals within the borders of a state in order to protect the health, safety, morals, and welfare of the citizens of the states. In other words the state must act in the public’s best interest within the state to regulate human conduct to safeguard and promote the general welfare, or common good of the state. As states are given additional power, one result is extra legislation emerging from the states dealing with a broader number of problems. This drive is controlled by the certainty that giving states more flexibility permits them to better address local issues. They need to design a long-term plan which would help reduce fiscal deficits in the years to come. I feel this would restore confidence in the markets, keep interest rates from going up and encourage superior self-assurance and confidence about future tax and spending policies, in this manner encouraging businesses to entrust their resources to creating more jobs. The Affordable Care Act puts people, not health insurance companies or government, in charge of health care and the new law strengthens the existing employer-based health insurance market while making the market fair for consumers by implementing landmark consumer protections (The White House). In a federal system, the national government holds important power, but the lesser political subdivisions also hold important power. Federal systems are chosen for a number of reasons. The size of the nation might be one concern; the diversity of the political subdivisions might be another. The United States combines a bit of both: the size of the continental United States made a unitary system unwieldy, and the diverse interests of the states made confederation impossible (U.S. Constitution Online). Federalism in the United States has progressed somewhat a bit since it was first implemented in 1787.

References
Cropf, R. (2008). American public administration: public service for the 21st century. New York, NY: Pearson Longman.
The White House. President Barack Obama. Retrieved on July 8, 2011 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/
U.S. Constitution Online. (1995-2011).Retrieved on July 9, 2011 from http://www.usconstitution.net/index.html

References: Cropf, R. (2008). American public administration: public service for the 21st century. New York, NY: Pearson Longman. The White House. President Barack Obama. Retrieved on July 8, 2011 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/ U.S. Constitution Online. (1995-2011).Retrieved on July 9, 2011 from http://www.usconstitution.net/index.html